Penned by one of our favourite feminist writers and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, Laura Bates tells the whole story when it comes to sexism in her new book, Misogynation. Like Reni Eddo Lodge in her examination of structural racism in Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, Bates leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit to reveal the true scale of sexism. From sexual assault to why street harassment isn’t just ‘banter’ the collection of essays reads more like a manual for coping with the continued discrimination women face day to day. As Caitlin Moran notes, the book will make you feel “oddly saner” in the battle for equality. Bates weaves first hand accounts - mostly tweets and submissions from the Everyday Sexism Project - into the pages giving real women a voice and making the extent of gender inequality clearer than ever. As ever, Bates brings her unique style and witticisms to the book, directly addressing male perpetrators with a much needed dose of sarcasm. Her ‘Handy Guides for Confused Dudes’ are particularly funny and insightful and would do well to be shared with some of society’s more ignorant individuals. But despite identifying all the places where sexism is still alive and well - in our homes, offices, schools, media and politics - Bates’s book still feels like victory. She’s uncovered the truth and is inviting us all to dismantle it, one wolf-whistle at a time.
Misogynation by Laura Bates. Simon and Schuster, 2018.