Five books to inspire you to #BreakTheBias and champion gender equality

 March 02, 2022

The written word is a powerful medium to help advocate for change, and can often inspire progress where other mediums can't.

Here are five feminist books that perfectly align with the #BreakTheBias theme to leave you feeling inspired and excited, and certainly up to fighting the good fight for gender equality! 

Girlhood by Melissa Febos

Author Melissa Febos wholly embodies this #BreakTheBias theme in her book, Girlhood.

Examining the narratives women are told about what it means to be female, Melissa gives an eye-opening insight into how women can break free from these expectations, based on her own life experiences. 

Part memoir, part scholarship, and part investigative reporting, Melissa explains how she, and others, have been able to take back ownership of what it means to be a woman. 

Why Solange Matters by Stephanie Phillips

Solange Knowles is widely known for her inspirational contribution to music. However, Author Stephanie Phillips delves into Solange’s activism in liberating Black female creatives.

Black feminist punk musician Stephanie showcases how Solange has rid herself of the limitations society has placed on her as a Black performer, and how she has embraced activism and anger – paving the way for others to follow. 

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Hood Feminism is a collection of essays that investigate the modern feminist movement, debating whether it has failed a wide section of women by not adequately embracing wider issues of race, gender and class. 

Mikki Kendall explores whether mainstream feminism is disproportionately based on increasing the privilege of a few, rather than on basic survival for many.

Looking at white feminists, Mikki aims to address this imbalance within the book, advocating for a new era of feminism that better represents all races, classes, sexual orientations and disabilities. 

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

When discussing her book, Bad Feminist, Roxane Gay told the Guardian, “I am failing as a woman. I am failing as a feminist. To freely accept the feminist label would not be fair to good feminists. If I am, indeed, a feminist, I am a rather bad one. I am a mess of contradictions.”

In her book, Roxanne elaborates on her thoughts through funny and insightful essays that take the reader on the journey of her evolution as a woman of color and a look at the culture over the last few years. 

Broken down into five sections; Me; Gender & Sexuality; Race & Entertainment; Politics, Gender & Race; and Back to Me, Bad Feminist explores what it means to be a feminist while also enjoying things that may be at odds with the feminist ideology. 

Notes to Self by Emilie Pines

Emilie Pine’s Note to Self trope of six personal essays is one that will leave an impression long after you've turned the last page.  

Confronting the past as a way to better understand herself, her relationships and her role in society, Emilie studies topics such as addiction, fertility, feminism and sexual violence, and where these subjects intersect with legislation.

Intimate, honest and raw, a Good Reads review likened the reading experience to delving into Emilie’s personal diary. 

What's your favorite feminist book?

Do you have a favorite book that celebrates women and feminism?

Help #BreakTheBias and share titles and authors among your friends and loved ones - all activism is good activism!