Everday Sexism

 

By Laura Bates

 

WOW, I was not expecting this book to be so full on. I got this book through an AMAZON $2 special so my expectations weren’t high, but it looked like worth reading for the price. Everyday Sexism resonated with me to a degree I had not expected.

 

This book completely horrified me. It’s unbelievable the sheer scale of the sexism problem. There are too many things that happen every day that we don’t even notice them as sexism. Because they happen so often we are taught to just ignore it.

 

I did skim some of the many stories from the public. They were interesting and important but there was too many of them. The stories are sometimes so shocking you can’t imagine them still happening in this day and age. Yes it is 2015 and men and women are supposed to be equal, but this is far from the truth.

 

Some important quotes from the book:

• I think the everyday sexism that happens in our media and mainstream press is the biggest and most important example in this country. I just think how can we fight the other forms of sexism if everyday the work is undone and undermined by the big booming message that screams from all of these ‘WOMEN YOU ARE NOTHING, YOU ARE WORTHLESS, YOU ARE HERE FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT AND WE WILL USE AND TREAT YOU HOW WE WANT’

• It’s taking a lot of time and soul searching to try and make myself feel like a valid human being again, the law and legal systems have not helped me in doing that, I feel dismissed and ignored, yet again like a naked woman on the wall that’s okay to use and abuse because I’m not a person. I really hope that one day I am really convinced that I am worth more than that, and that these voices from everywhere telling me I am not worthy of human status stop

• Our media culture desensitises us to the use of women’s bodies as currency

• Boris Johnson, mayor of London, said women just go to university to find suitable marriage partners. It was just a bit of humour.

 

A fantastic book to continue the extremely important feminism conversation!

Bates is giving us an online voice to the protest against sexism with her project of Everyday Sexism. An important book to read and I highly recommend that every single person (women and men) read it and take it seriously. Then discuss it with everyone you can!

 

Read some of the horrible stories that have just become an everyday occurrence on the Everyday Sexism website. They will make you angry and disbelieving but will give you hope as well: http://everydaysexism.com