15 Feminist Books to Know and Engage in the Movement

Feminism is a movement that fights for gender equality, as women, even today, live in a sexist reality. To learn more about the theses and delve deeper into the movement, check out the following selection of 15 feminist books. There are suggestions for all tastes! Take a look and play!

1. The Book of Feminism

the book of feminism It’s a great start for anyone looking to better understand the subject. It was written by several authors and addresses the main feminist themes, as well as clearly presenting the history of the movement. The book can be considered a map, on which you can always go back to remember the historical landmarks and the main theories written. It is a dense and long option, but quite complete!

2. Feminism is for everyone

Gloria Jean Watkins goes by the pseudonym bell hooks and prefers it to be written in lowercase, highlighting her theory rather than her name. hooks is a major feminist theorist of our time and, one of her books, The feminism is for everyone, has 19 chapters and covers topics such as education, violence, politics and more. It has a clear text and answers the questions: what is feminism and who should fight for the movement?

3. To educate feminist children

You know that short book with a super fluid language? It’s that! Written by Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The book is a version of a letter the author wrote to a friend who asked her about raising her daughter as a feminist. The result is a pocket book that has 15 suggestions for those looking for an education that takes gender issues into account.

4. The second sex

Do you know the classic phrase “You are not born a woman, you become a woman”? It was written by Simone de Beauvoir in 1949 in a very extensive work, comprising 2 volumes. However, the second sex It is a cult book to this day. Beauvoir explains the sexist forms of oppression and calls the female sex “the second sex”, since women were seen as inferior to men. The author does this through detailed analyzes of various sectors of society.

5. The beauty myth

Naomi Wolf wrote the beauty myth to report on how images of beauty can be used to oppress women. For this, she analyzed areas such as economy, religion, sexuality and culture. During the reading, it becomes clear that the oppression of female bodies is a problem that goes beyond personal limits and becomes a massive one, resulting in an even more patriarchal society. This is an extensive work, but necessary for important reflections.

6. Extraordinary – women who revolutionized Brazil

Authors Duda Porto de Souza and Aryane Cararo brought together, in this book, the history of several Brazilian women who lived in different times and can be considered true icons! It is a beautiful work, with illustrations by different authors. This is a perfect book for young audiences, but of course, everyone needs to know its story. Knowing the struggle of Brazilian women who have often been erased by history is an act of respect for the movement that seeks to value them.

7. I survived – I can tell

Speaking of Brazilian women, get to know the story of Maria da Penha, author of the book I survived – I can tell. Her story was responsible for the creation of law number 11,340 / 2006, better known as the “Maria da Penha Law”, which disciplines domestic and family violence against women and brings protection institutes to them. In the book, Penha reports not only the violence she suffered from her husband, but also the need for domestic violence to be fought as a social and political phenomenon!

8. I am Malala

Still dealing with autobiographies, it is the turn of Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, who tells how she was shot at age 14 by the Taliban for advocating education for girls. The book shows the author’s feminist struggle for women’s independence, as well as covering the impacts of terrorism in her region. Malala won, in 2020, the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for education!

9. Who’s Afraid of Black Feminism?

The book begins with the story of Brazilian author Djamila Ribeiro, exploring the theme of racism in Brazil. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand black feminism from the perspective of an author who takes the place of the speech of black Brazilian women, who suffer a double oppression: gender and racial. With accessible and didactic writing, Djamila Ribeiro gave rise to a work that all women should know.

10. The princess saves herself in this book

The poems written by Amanda Lovelace present fragments of her life, going through different phases. The book is separated into 4 parts: the princess, the maiden, the queen and you. Writing causes an identification for dealing with topics dear to women: self-knowledge, self-love and the feelings that are the result of such processes.

11. The yellow wallpaper

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote in 1892 what has become a well-known feminist classic. The book portrays the story of a woman with fragile mental health, taken by her husband who wanted to treat her to a rented house. There, the character was supposed to spend her days doing nothing, not even writing. In her room, there was a yellow wallpaper, which becomes more and more important to her. Many believe that this is a horror book, but it can also be considered a feminist work that exposes the sexist reality in which women have been inserted for many years.

12. The Handmaid’s Tale

This dystopia written by Margaret Atwood takes place in the near future, in which the United States becomes a theocratic and totalitarian state, with the name of Gilead. In this republic, women have no rights and belong to the State, being divided into categories. The book takes place from the perspective of one of these women, Offred, whose job it is to procreate and give children to the Commanders and their wives. It’s an impactful read that holds the reader from start to finish!

13. The power

In this other dystopia, authored by Naomi Alderman, women gain a power: to electrocute people. From this, the social order is inverted and reality becomes very similar to the current one, with the only difference being that men are the ones who are oppressed, exactly as happens with female bodies in patriarchal society. The book goes beyond a simple dystopian novel and discusses political and social situations.

14. Feminism for the 99%

Authors Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya and Nancy Fraser articulate gender oppression with other forms of exploitation, such as racial and economic. The book has 11 theses on the subject and is an essential work for a reflection on feminism that goes beyond the basic limit of the movement to a more complex analysis of the forms of oppression. What the authors seek is a feminism that meets all!

15. Women, race and class

Angela Davis is a big name in feminism. Your book Women, race and class explores the history of black feminism in the United States, passing through landmarks such as, for example, the abolitionist and suffragist movements from a racial perspective. The author defends an intersectional bias of feminism, relating gender, race and class.

Take advantage of the directions to study and engage in this movement that needs everyone’s union! For this, it is also a good idea to meet famous writers to read more productions made by women!