mshai's review against another edition
It was too heavy for me to read at this point in my life
jang's review against another edition
5.0
The most RADical take on feminism I've ever read!
I will need to read this again in order to fully absorb what Mona Eltahawy is telling the world about feminism and social injustices brought about by patriarchy, but here are some of my favorite quotes that I'm taking with me from each necessary sin for women:
Anger
We must teach them to erupt! Girls are born with plenty of rage already, but we squash it. They are taught to be polite, to be well-behaved, and to not make a scene. We tell them not to raise their voice and not to speak too much. We send them to ballet class and not often enough to martial arts class.
Attention
You need a robust ego to be a feminist. You need a massive amount of faith in yourself and your right to be seen and heard in order to be a warrior against patriarchy—because it is war.
Profanity
We must recognize that the ubiquitous ways patriarchy has socialized women to shrink themselves—physically and intellectually—extend also into language, into what we can and cannot say. It is not just a fight for airtime. It is not just a policing of women’s egos. It polices women’s very language.
Ambition
Being ambitious discombobulates patriarchy because ambition smashes those restrictions. Having ambition is believing that you will not be contained by should/should not, could/could not. Ambition is being more than.
Power
What does being powerful mean? It must be more than doing what men do or being what men can be. I don’t want to be something simply because a man can be that thing. Men are not my yardstick.
Violence
But we are long overdue a fuck-this-shit snapping. It is as if men have hoarded the operating manual for violence and, from boyhood, have been taught the language of that manual, while girls and women are kept illiterate. Violence—daily acts of violence against women simply for being women—benefits men.
Lust
When I say “I own my body,” it is a revolutionary statement. It is deceptively simple but resolutely powerful because the beating heart of any revolution must be the twin forces of consent and agency.
I will need to read this again in order to fully absorb what Mona Eltahawy is telling the world about feminism and social injustices brought about by patriarchy, but here are some of my favorite quotes that I'm taking with me from each necessary sin for women:
Anger
We must teach them to erupt! Girls are born with plenty of rage already, but we squash it. They are taught to be polite, to be well-behaved, and to not make a scene. We tell them not to raise their voice and not to speak too much. We send them to ballet class and not often enough to martial arts class.
Attention
You need a robust ego to be a feminist. You need a massive amount of faith in yourself and your right to be seen and heard in order to be a warrior against patriarchy—because it is war.
Profanity
We must recognize that the ubiquitous ways patriarchy has socialized women to shrink themselves—physically and intellectually—extend also into language, into what we can and cannot say. It is not just a fight for airtime. It is not just a policing of women’s egos. It polices women’s very language.
Ambition
Being ambitious discombobulates patriarchy because ambition smashes those restrictions. Having ambition is believing that you will not be contained by should/should not, could/could not. Ambition is being more than.
Power
What does being powerful mean? It must be more than doing what men do or being what men can be. I don’t want to be something simply because a man can be that thing. Men are not my yardstick.
Violence
But we are long overdue a fuck-this-shit snapping. It is as if men have hoarded the operating manual for violence and, from boyhood, have been taught the language of that manual, while girls and women are kept illiterate. Violence—daily acts of violence against women simply for being women—benefits men.
Lust
When I say “I own my body,” it is a revolutionary statement. It is deceptively simple but resolutely powerful because the beating heart of any revolution must be the twin forces of consent and agency.
amy_harboredinpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I can see why this would be an empowering book for women and girls, especially those of color, and marginalized groups. I highly recommend.
booksandbourbon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
5.0