Of Women: In the 21st Century by Shami Chakrabarti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Of Women: In the 21st Century, Shami Chakrabarti presents an informed and nuanced treatise on the global state of women’s emancipation and gender equality in the 21st century, from political and economic independence, to cultural definitions and norms of femininity.
Divided in to essay like chapters, such as health and reproduction, wealth, faith, Chakrabarti addresses piece by piece the differences in treatments, challenges, and in some cases abuses of women around the world, what can done to change things for the better, and who are helping already. It’s not a doom and gloom read, if anything it is a call to action and not, as suggested in one too many books on gender equality, an issue solely given to the West. Chakrabarti’s feminism is wonderfully inclusive and intersectional, and never shies away from discussing race, cultural traditions, or definitions of gender that would usually cause a TERF to reach for an aspirin.
Chakrabarti also offers potential solutions that might help reduce the inequality between the sexes; a particular favourite of mine was her conclusion regarding the measuring of unpaid domestic work (homemakers, carers et al) in an attempt to undermine the last-century hangover definition of care being ‘women’s work’ – if you want to know more, you’ll have to read the book.
It’s not a heavy read, at just over two-hundred pages I actually found myself wishing for more. Admittedly there were some pages, particularly when concerning politics or economics, where Chakrabarti code-switched and the language and phrasing became a little drier, a little more what I imagine she uses to address colleagues in parliament. Regardless, you will find yourself engrossed as Chakrabarti leads through both personal and professional accounts of inequality and division, and likewise be willing the next page to offer some hope or solution.
The only fault is that for some it might feel like treading old ground. Perhaps too little has changed, perhaps I’ve just read too widely than this book was aimed for, in which case it is perfect for those new to the subject or feel they have a limited scope as far as international gender equality is concerned.
With 2018 marking the centenary of the Suffragette movement (in the UK at least), Of Women is the perfect read to remind yourself of what has been doggedly fought for in those one-hundred years. Not just for female readers, but male too and all those in between. It provides a clear statement of where we are, where we have been, and how much work there is still to be done if we want to live in a world where we are benefited of equal value and status, regardless of how or where we are born, or how we choose to live our lives.
I received my copy through NetGalley in exchange for review, all opinions are my own.
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