Fight Like A Girl

Product Information

There’s a wonderful book by Clementine Ford that I advise every woman, and especially young women, to read called Fight Like a Girl.’ A] fun, frank and fearless feminist manifesto...anyone hoping for an introduction to the most pressing topics in identity politics would do well to brush up under Ford's tutelage.’ A useful antidote to the widespread attitude of the many young women that passivity and resignation are the only rational responses to the enormous cultural, religious, Fight Like A Girl is fuelled by Ford’s clear-eyed defiance and refusal to compromise, and by her powerful combination of personal testimony and political polemic. In the vein of Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman or Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist.’ On to the actual book: I didn’t rate it because I skimmed large chunks of familiar material. The book is promoted as “an inspiring, unapologetic, feminist manifesto” through “a mixture of memoir, opinion and investigative journalism.” I personally felt she dwelt too much on the memoir part. The first third covers her personal journey to realizing she could proudly claim the label of feminist in her late twenties after overcoming significant body image issues. There is also a lot of repetition. I don’t know or read Ford, but her biography says she’s a columnist. Some parts of the book had the feel of several columns edited together without regard to repetitive themes and examples.

Like many other feminists, young Clementine was your typical girl, brought up in a loving family, together with her older sister and brother. She couldn't quite find her place in the world, being a chubby girl (I know the biggest crime of them all!), until she became a teenager who decided "to take control" by becoming anorexic and bulimic. Interestingly enough, but not unusual, nobody in the family noticed, she was getting lots of compliments for losing that weight to become attractive. Her parents were loving and quite enlightened by comparison, still, they weren't perfect. The mixed messages we give girls, the ever-changing goalposts of what it means to be attractive, of what's acceptable and not acceptable. Just think of how we were parented and how we parent our boys and girls: for the girls - be nice and kind, make yourself pretty, cute, followed by don't go out at night, don't show too much leg, wear a bra, wear girly clothes, of course, not too revealing we don't want people to call/think you a slut. Shave your underarms, shave your legs (why is it so different for men?). The boys are mostly left to be themselves, go explore, be conquerors, be a leader, assertive, encouraged to go after what they want etc. The resources, helpful hints about organizing and working with the press, the short bios of companies and fabulous feminists are great!” Fight Like a Girl is a much-needed primer and call to action for the next generation of feminist activists. In this regressive cultural climate, it's more important than ever to speak loudly and proudly about the work we're doing and what still needs to be done. Some reviewers have dinged Ford for her crude language and raw anger. I don’t. This book was written for a younger generation—one more accustomed to the F-bomb and sharing their feelings across social media. This generation of feminists is not like mine and that’s a good thing! I hope they are better—as in more effective. They will have different tools, more expansive networks, and (I hope) more men working with them. I’m just sorry they still have to go through the same traumas we did. The Me Too Movement seems to be making a difference. The Kavanaugh hearings for the Supreme Court have tapped a deep sense of outrage which I hope will be reflected at the voting booth. Here’s to hoping the next generation of young women get the respect and opportunities they deserve. I’ve got my fingers crossed and plan to crochet a bunch more pussy hats.I'm so saddened by how visceral my reaction to this book has been. I believe the message 100%, but the delivery is going to alienate a lot of well-meaning people. A friend recently told me that the things I write are powerful for her because they have the effect of making her feel angry instead of just empty. I want to do this for all women and young girls - to take the emptiness and numbness they feel about being a girl in this world and turn it into rage and power. I want to teach all of them how to FIGHT LIKE A GIRL. Clementine Ford

An incendiary debut taking the world by storm, Fight Like A Girl is an essential manifesto for feminists new, old and soon-to-be. My mother played the role of the traditional housewife and primary caregiver in a predominantly female environment, raising daughters while she was being emotionally, mentally and physically abused. We were children of domestic violence and alcohol abuse. This became my inauguration into a male dominated world where battle weary women have previously been defeated and precious lives have been lost. It touches on the tragedy of Jill Meagher and how her brutal rape and murder invoked rage without our community. Fight Like A Girl considers the anguish of domestic violence and violence against women, a chapter that resonated deep within me. All these resources from the women, books, art, music, I would have LOVED an actual list of their material so it would be easier to find. The bibliography in the end lists the resources the author used, I’m talking about a separate list with the feminists’ own work, now I have to google for myself (yeah I know, minor issue…)Swearing aside, she is also a good writer, who expressed in clear and articulate ways some simple truths about being a woman that we sometimes take for granted that everyone understands because it’s our reality, but that more than deserve to be expressed to those who can’t read our thoughts. In fact, I thought this might be a good book for men to read when they wonder why women get pissed at stuff that may seem harmless to them.

Fight Like A Girl is possibly one of the best collections of profiles I have read in awhile. From the beginning of modern feminism to present day, Barcella covers a wide variety of women who have made a serious impact on the western world and on feminism. First, I want to say how grateful I am for a book like this. I feel like I needed it right now and I have opened a document to list all great books, memoirs, art, music etc. from these feminists to learn more. Fight Like a Girl offers a fearless vision for the future of feminism. By boldly detailing what is at stake for women and girls today, Megan Seely outlines the necessary steps to achieve true political, social and economic equity for all. Reclaiming feminism for a new generation, Fight Like a Girl speaks to young women who embrace feminism in substance but not necessarily in name.I truly believe that everyone, male and female, should read this book and i will definitely be recommending it to all the women I know. Clementine Ford was one of my very first formative feminist influences, initiating me into the world of feminism. She is someone whose tenacity and fearlessness I admire greatly, and she helped me along the path to becoming the humourless, bitter, lesbian feminist I am today.’