Do It Like A Woman …and change the world by Caroline Criado-Perez
Doing anything like a woman used to mean being a bit rubbish.
No longer. Now, as the women in this book prove, it means being brave, thinking differently, speaking out, standing up, taking a risk, fighting back, dreaming big, and being more than a bit amazing.
Every day, all around the world, women are reinventing what it means to be female in cultures where power, privilege or basic freedoms are all too often acquainted with being male.
From physical strength to having a voice and being heard, women are still being overlooked and even dismissed. I still find it hard to believe that women not only have to fight to be heard but that the fight is not over. Many of the older generation will remember when things were much worse in the UK and USA and we have come a long way over the years but women in others countries are not so fortunate. FGM is one topic covered and the graphic description and potential side effects suffered by young girls made me grit my teeth as I was reading it – and sadly, women continue to be the perpetrators which I find baffling.
The book contains examples of women challenging various boundaries on a day to day basis which differs from country to country. Speaking out, not keeping silent, putting your head above the parapet can be traumatising and draining but it has to be done. Criado-Perez tells of the consequences.
We could, in the next few weeks, see leaders of both Conservative and Labour parties, and we already have female first ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland. It will be interesting to notice how the general reaction differs as to when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979. I remember many males objecting to being told what to do by a woman. I think there will be fewer protestations now, it is much more common to have women leading companies and businesses.
One quote that stood out for me, as women continue to work harder for equal recognition was the following:
‘I am reminded of the aphorism that we will have equality when there are as many mediocre women at the top as there are mediocre men. ‘
Quite.