5 Books You Need to Read to Expand Your Feminist Thinking

Feminism is often taught through a narrow lens, only exposing well known experiences of specific women While the classic feminist works have earned praise for a reason, it’s important to find stories that reveal the less talked-about truths of women worldwide. 

The intersectional nature of feminism’s calls for a broader approach to educating people on pressing issues. By exposing yourself to new authors with diverse perspectives, you can open a world of new knowledge. Here is a selection of  books to help you go beyond the basics and discover a deeper understanding of the diversity of experience.

• Decolonial Feminism by Francoise Verges

As a staunch women’s rights activist and public educator, Francoise Verges uses “Decolonial Feminism” to communicate a new, multi-faceted approach to feminism, exposing how unjust societal structures can harm women. Verges delves into the intersectionality of feminism by connecting feminist issues to ones of racism, colonialism and capitalism, showing how they all intersect in the external struggle for a more just society.

• Speak Out, Black Sisters: Feminism and Oppression in Black Africa by Awa Thiam

Author and Sengalese activist Thiam amplifies African women’s stories and breaks their silence in “Speak Out, Black Sisters,” allowing readers to hear their untold truths. Thaim uncovers some of the most inhumane and violent acts towards women in Africa through these women’s raw experiences. 

• Women of a Certain Rage by Liz Byrski  

Compiled by Australian author Liz Byrski, this book shares the voices of 20 women from all different identities in talking about rage. Byrski brings together women of different races, belief systems and social classes to discuss female anger, which has been traditionally taboo. Having a wide range of perspectives helps readers grasp the topic of rage in new ways. 

• Written in Tears by Arupa Patangiai Kalita, translated from Assamese by Ranjita Biswas 

Set in violence-torn Assam, Kalita details the gendered oppression during the Assamese agitations while also highlighting her strong women characters. This collection of short stories brings a different outlook to feminism in its connection to a place plagued by conflict, as the characters bring their unique and heartbreaking stories.

• She Called me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak Edited by Azeenarh Mohammed, Chitra Nagarajan, Rafeeat Aliyu 

This collection of women’s firsthand narratives helps expose the truths of queerness and womanhood in Nigera. Helping readers understand the intersectional nature of sexuality and gender, this work offers a variety of perspectives from narrators with stories of overcoming adversity and learning more about themselves while at it.