Abstract
Replete with wit and wisdom, Gloria Steinem’s latest book is a journey into the world of hope and change. It is another jewel in her crown, which joins the likes of her several previous, moving essay collections such as Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983), Revolution From Within (1992), and Moving Beyond Words (1994). Two decades later, her autobiography, My Life on the Road (2015), was published. Another four years later, as Steinem returns with another book, her never-fading aura and indomitable spirit radiate through every page. Borrowing from poetry, literature, philosophy, and narratives, the author contemplates life, love, and everything else.
This most recent book, comprising six short essays and tens of quotes, is a bold and brazen feminist manifesto. Feminism and intersectionality are the leitmotifs. Each essay is followed by a series of quotes, several accompanied by creative illustrations. The aim is not to preach but to reflect upon the lived experiences of the octogenarian author. In the process, it not only urges introspection but also fuels passion and inspiration. There is a clear and loud call for deconstructing divisive institutions—be it patriarchy, sexism, or racism. This deconstruction is to be achieved not by violence and war but through peace, love, and united resistance.
Unsurprisingly, the opening chapter is about the family, where everything begins. Family is the primary site for not only socialization but also democracy, gender equality, and all other values that are essential for a better world. There are families that we are born in, and there are those which we choose. Since the personal is political, the family must foster not only shared values and beliefs but also the acceptance of differences. More importantly, instead of normalizing subordination and violence, its function is to create a haven where everyone can feel truly at home—loved, cared for, and valued.
In the discussions that follow, the author deals with multifarious aspects of life. The second chapter on aging encourages the readers to embrace old age. What is age but another number? It should not hinder women from being the selves that they wish to be. Similarly, the third chapter analyzes the worlds of work and the spaces accorded to women amid these. Work is about doing what one loves and loving what one does. On the one hand, women face various forms of discrimination in the workplace. From the gender pay gap to the burden of emotional labor, from racism to sexual harassment, the multiple oppressions resulting from their intersectional identities make it impossible for women to enjoy fully the work that they perform. On the other hand, the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work that women have been shouldering for centuries implies that a majority of their work is usually unaccounted for in any formal sense. As patriarchy and capitalism work hand-in-glove in both the household and the workplace, women’s lives are an everyday battle.
Social evils, such as domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment, racism, and communalism, can be fought with the support of our chosen family—that is to say, social and political movements. As comrades become co-conspirators, friends might also turn into adversaries. In the fourth chapter, the author reflects upon such experiences of her own. Conflict is constant, yet fragmentation weakens the spirit of the movement. Sustaining movements requires sustaining sisterhood and empathy; it demands agreeing to disagree and mutual respect for those disagreements. Instead of indulging in labeling and denunciation stemming from insecurity and envy, a spirit of debate and dialogue can help to resolve conflicts through negotiation and cooperation. We ought to be linked through our shared realities and experiences, not ranked on the basis of fame and followership.
The last two chapters initiate a conversation around laughter and activism. Women’s presence in the public sphere is often contested. They are treated with scorn if they laugh in public or take to the streets in protest. The author urges women to reclaim the public sphere by raising their voices—in laughter and in resistance. The streets can provide freedom from the tyranny of the household and the dangers lurking behind its four walls. The author, a feminist activist herself, thus calls for politicizing the personal sphere and democratizing the public sphere to make these spaces just and inclusive.
This book will strike a personal chord with the young and the old, students and teachers, academics and activists alike. It is a must-read for anyone who is trying to interpret the world in order to change it. Upholding her belief that revolution is from within, Steinem urges readers to be a part of it—both indoors and out there. This book beckons one and all to be the change one wishes to see. It is a gateway into the realm of alternatives and possibilities.
