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| Image taken from Scarlett Curtis on Instagram |
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies is an empowering, hilarious, personal account on feminism which seeks to challenge stereotypical views of what it means to be a feminist in the 21st century.
This book was created by the journalist and activist Scarlett Curtis, but was published in partnership with the UN Women’s Foundation, Girl Up. They aim to “train girls from all backgrounds to create tangible change for girls everywhere” and empower young women leaders to defend gender equality. In fact, they’ve made it their mission to donate 10% of RRP for each copy sold to the Girl Up charity in order to provide leadership training and give girls the tools to become gender-equality advocates.
One of the main aspects the reader will find interesting about this book is that it does not seek to discourage stereotypically “girly” likes and interests which wouldn’t normally be associated with the strong, confident and independent trope of feminism. Instead, it encourages the reader to challenge their beliefs that you cannot be a feminist if you enjoy Disney films, make-up and yes, even the colour pink. Therefore, attempts to question the negative, aggressive depictions of feminism as previously displayed in the media. The book is clear from the offset that it does not intend to patronise you, nor steer you into a certain mindset and instead asks you to explore what it means to be a feminist through the stories of women from different walks of life. Each chapter is written by a different and inspiring woman who shares their tale of feminism from their own perspective; from actors such as Evanna Lynch, Kiera Knightly and Emma Watson, to activists such as Elyse Fox, Emithal Mahmoud and Amina George. All having their own unique story to tell!
The book is sectioned into five parts, all relating to a different emotion that the term “feminism” brings to the contributors. The first section is entitled “Epiphany”, cleverly placed at the beginning of the anthology to entice readers who are themselves uncertain as to what it means to be a feminist.
Saoirse Ronan opens the first section by speaking widely on what feminism looks like for her; “Feminism did not happen for me. Feminism was not one moment”. This sets the tone for the book by helping the reader relate to the female contributors, allowing them to choose which aspects of feminism to follow.
What the reader will find endearing about this anthology is that it does not discriminate age. It has chapters written by the very young and the old, showing that you don’t need to be highly educated or mature to hold feminist beliefs.
Other chapters, such as the one entitled “The Catastrophizers Alphabet” by Kat Dennings deals with reasons why we should all be feminists. She gives satirical examples of cases where women could potentially be kidnapped, based on what we see in the media; “F is for flirting. You’re at a party with an attractive stranger. You lock eyes. KIDNAPPED”. These humorously exaggerated examples accurately portray the paranoia women face on a daily basis due to sexual harassment, a theme which flows rapidly throughout this book.
One of the most impactful aspects of this anthology is that it was written by women of different backgrounds, such as racial and socio-economic. It also celebrates disabled and transgender contributors and aids the inclusivity of the anthology. This makes it far more inclusive which is a quality that Curtis tries to emphasise as being an important aspect of feminism.
The chapter ’17 truths about Muslim women’. In this chapter, Al-Khatahbeh lists many misconceptions of what it means to be a Muslim woman and attempts to change that narrative. Other sections of this novel are less passive and portray more of an active role within feminism. The section ‘Anger’ takes a more bitter tone throughout, with sections such as ‘Tell Him’ by Jameelia Jamil, focusing on what women have had to overcome, such as unequal pay and the negative impacts of toxic masculinity. This is followed by the section ‘Action’, allowing the reader to understand where to place their anger in a more positive way. Other chapters within this book act as mouth pieces of sexual harassment, ‘slut’ and body-shaming, as well as sexual slavery and workplace inequality. Although these are very serious topics, Curtis does well in lightening the tone of the book through witty remarks by the contributors, as well as a well needed ‘poetry break’ sectioned in the middle and the light-hearted section entitled ‘joy’, all still conveying the branches of feminism whilst making it a happier read.
All in all, this anthology aims to provide factual, as well as humorous and subjective views of feminism from the perspective of women from different walks of life. Curtis successfully blends the seriousness of the topics with humour and cheerfulness with one mutual takeaway, what the true meaning of feminism is from the perspective of different women, summed up by the quote; “We are fuelled by a desperation for equality”.
So, get reading if this sounds like the book for you! even if it's not, give it a try to widen your opinion on the topic!
Love, Josie