Books: Sexism in America

Last night I swung by the Women's ENews offices for a talk by Barbara Berg, author of Sexism In America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future. A bit about the book below:

The news in 2008 was that women had taken huge strides forward. Feminists’ decades-long struggle finally seemed to be paying off, not only in boardrooms, classrooms, and kitchens but also at the very top—in presidential politics. But what is the truth behind the headlines?

In Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future, renowned feminist author Barbara J. Berg debunks the many myths about how far women have come and the pervasive belief that ours is a postfeminist society. Berg traces the assault on women’s status from the 1950s—when Newsweek declared "for the American girl, books and babies don’t mix"—to the present, exploring the deception about women’s progress and contextualizing our current situation.

In her talk, Berg pointed out some grim news - how we lost years of progress under Reagan and Bush I & II, the fact that we're only ONE Supreme Court Justice away from losing the right to abortion, and how women pay roughly $700,000 more in health insurance than men over a lifetime - but she has great hope. Today's young women, she says, are not going to take this, and will keep fighting to make sure things don't regress. I'd like to echo her call and invite all women (and men!) of this generation to stand up for sexism where you see it - in your everyday interactions up to your Congress representative. There is much work still left to be done, and we have the tools and the drive to do it, so let's get to it!