NoNonsense Feminism (eBook)

Nikki van der Gaag: Nikki van der Gaag is an independent consultant and writer who works primarily on gender, with a particular focus on girls and on masculinities. She is the author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Women's Rights (New Internationalist), Feminism and Men (Zed Press), co-author of the first State of the World's Fathers and has been the principal author of six of the eight State of the World's Girls reports published by Plan International. Alongside her writing, she trains, coaches, and manages evaluations.

1. Introduction – what does it mean to be a feminist today?
From feminism to Fifty Shades, activism, factionalism and patriarchy. How feminism has changed, the views of older and younger feminists, what feminists agree and disagree on and the surge in feminist campaigning.

2. You can’t keep a good woman down? Power, politics and work.
Women still only make up 21% of parliamentarians in the world, and run only 4.4% of Fortune 500 companies. Why is it proving so difficult to achieve equality in the workplace? This chapter will also have examples of successful women in different countries, and look at what can be done.

3. The war for control of women’s bodies – prostitution, trafficking, reproductive health and rights.
Women’s bodies have always been at the heart of the battle of the sexes. Covers opposing feminist views on prostitution/sex work, and looks at contraception, maternal mortality.

4. Difference, deviance and diversity – the importance of ‘intersectionality’ LGBTQI and transgender
Feminists are not all the same – the debates between black/white, North/South, straight and gay women. The advances and setbacks for LGBTQI, the rise of gay marriage and the debates around intersex and transgender.

5. Equality in an increasingly unequal world – poverty and development
How does gender equality compare with other inequalities, as the gap between rich and poor increases? What is being done to support women and girls – microfinance and cash transfers (and critiques)? Is girls’ education really the key to development?

6. Strange bedfellows – violence, online sexism and religion
One thing has changed very little, and that is the levels of violence against women. The rise of the internet has added a whole new level of misogyny, which coupled with the increase in fundamentalism in all religions means that in many ways the world is a less safe place for women than it was even 10 years ago. Includes body shaming, and the media.

7. Do men have a role in feminism?
Looking at the arguments for and against involving men in feminism, with specific examples of work from different parts of the world.

8. Feminism – into the future
Linking up feminist campaigns (including climate change) to envisage a better world.