21 Best Books About Female Oppression

The story of boudicca is one that should be shared to all age groups and cultures, becuase it helps to spread the idea of female power, and how anyone is capable of anything when they have the opportunity to. Boudicca was strong and outwilled her opponents, in a time when this was just not something that happens every day. As we learn more about how we can be more equal, we must look back in history and learn some classic ideals, and use them to work into our new future.’

In this book, Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, chronicles her journey in an in-depth and deeply captivating memoir that takes you through some of her most painful moments as well as some of the private struggles that she went through , as she fought to be heard and seen as a black woman in the USA. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, which is recognized as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city, she managed to climb all the way up to becoming one of the nation’s most prominent advocates for women’s rights, and in this book, she lays down her entire life story in her own words, as she reminds women everywhere of the importance of remaining resilient in the face of adversity and oppression as well as the value of striving for constant growth and self-discovery.

This book is a story that is thrilling and hopeful at times. A story that revolves around a mother and her child being captive by a man in a room. This book had portrayed a woman being weak and seems to be under a man’s portrayed power at first. But the ability of women to try and fight is endless. Oppression is extremely wrong but beatable. Things may take time but hope and courage to escape from it will never die. You can find a great summary of Room here.

This book has a strong female protagonist named Didi Diyoka, 17, who’s family relocates to South Carolina from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As excited as Didi is to spend her senior year of high school in the United States, she notices some very disturbing similarities between the two countries. Didi embarks on a journey that will include raising the awareness of diversity and inclusion to her new home town and her teachers, while also teaching the reader some very important lessons in history about racism and oppression.

This book talks about turning oppression into opportunity. The authors are Pulitzer prize winners and drive the readers on a journey talking about the struggling Asian and African women. They talk about how a small help can bring great changes in the women’s lives who are struggling against poverty. An inspirational book discusses the real-time life lessons of women in global perspectives and their constructive growth irrespective of past sufferings. This book serves as a mind changer and creates an impact on readers undoubtedly.

This classic is for anyone that wants to learn more about the treatment of women throughout history. The Second Sex offers a powerful analysis of the Western notion of woman and is a crucial foundation for the gender studies.

The author describes the story of Adam & Eve as the greatest murder cover up of all time. He didn’t make it look like an accident, or perfectly conceal the evidence. All he did was wait silently as the circumstances closed in on her and let her fall into the trap. Eve ate the deadly fruit while Adam didn’t say a word. The results were the greatest human tragedy of all time—the invention of death itself. And although he participated in the sin himself in the cover-up for his plot he shifted the blame to the woman. Effectively, for generation after generation, people have believed this lie and half the population remains, shamed, blamed, and oppressed because of it. However, investigation into the scriptures reveals a new light into this story. It shows a callous deception and betrayal during a war over the souls of humanity. The lies and the truth are separated as God’s plan is revealed with a covenant made with Eve’s seed. Women have been under attack in an attempt to take control of that seed to steal from her the promised inheritance from God, but there also remains a plan for women to overcome their enemies and arise as the warrior bride.

This uniquely heart wrenching and ultimately uplifting true story beautifully illuminates the lack of agency women experienced in this country as recently as 1860, when the narrative begins. As Civil War is brewing in the United States, Elizabeth Packard is living in a war zone in her own home. The dutiful wife of a preacher, she has made the error of speaking her mind one too many times. Her idea that she was entitled to her own thoughts and opinions clashed with the plans of her husband – and the other men who ran their town. Elizabeth had to be silenced before she assembled others willing to embrace her ideals of kindness and equality for all. And so, to silence her, Elizabeth’s husband had her committed to an asylum in Illinois – where her access to the outside world was terminated. Inexplicably able to retain her sanity throughout horrendous conditions and treatment inside the asylum for years, Elizabeth was able to find a way to secure her release and furthermore affect laws concerning women and who has the right to define them as crazy. A perilous journey that is incredibly well-told by author Kate Moore, this book sparked anger and inspiration throughout.

This book is a magnifying glass to enable a person to identify the root(s) of his or her unhappiness and the necessary steps to live in victory. As someone who suffered from childhood abuse and thoughts of suicide, Alesha shares lessons learned in her journey that enabled her to transition from a victim to a victor. This book includes thought provoking questions and exercises to enable the reader to take the beginning steps to reclaim happiness, peace, purpose and power. You cannot conquer what you refuse to face.

This book is a poetic journey chronicling the struggle for freedom and identity after escaping the oppression of child abuse. The author explores the search for love, sexual identity, healing, healthy relationships, and spirituality. It is one thing to survive; it’s another thing to thrive, a point that a lot of abuse survivors never reach.

Talking about oppression doesn’t get any more serious than this. In many ways, Malala is the perfect figurehead for the emancipation of women. She’s lived through it and seen it all, but she’s never given up the fight. This is a book that makes you cry in much the same way that it inspires. It’s crucial, to understand Malala’s context from the onset. She grew up in a society that places women below everything else. Children are not taken to school because they’re female. Even when they’re taken to school, they’re more often than not withdrawn from school to be married off early. She was shot. She was humiliated. But she still forged on. The book is poignant, arousing, and eye-opening in so many ways. Beyond simply inspiring people to do more, it also sheds more light on how women are oppressed in Pakistan, and how education could help them out. It’s a must-read for everyone, not just women.

Are you a little too comfortable with self-loathing? Tired of feeling like you are not enough? This book is for you. Carrington Smith spent a lifetime trying to be someone else—to fit in, to be loved, to keep the peace, and to make others happy. Until finally, Carrington discovered that her own path to happiness wasn’t based on fitting in but on standing out—celebrating her uniqueness and owning her past. Candid and raw, Blooming takes you on a treasure hunt to discover the gifts in the shit. Shit is quite literally fertilizer. It is in the messes, failures, trauma, and difficulties of life that we discover what we need to bloom into our greatness. From trauma to triumph, through the depths of sexual assault, religious mind-fuckery, family rejection, body dysmorphia, mid-life metamorphosis, physical scarring, and death into happiness, forgiveness, empathy, purpose, belonging, and joy, Blooming is a poignant, powerful account of finding your way through the shit.

We talk about oppression in our communities and the world that we live in, but rarely do we acknowledge that oppression also takes place within our workspaces. Toxic work cultures are real and in this anthology thirteen Black women have come forward to share their stories of how oppression in the workspace has impacted them both personally and professionally. A must read for those in leadership and who work in organizational justice and the diversity, equity, and inclusion spaces.

Female Erasure is a dynamic collection of diverse voices speaking out against gender identity politics, exposing the origins and harmful effects of transgender ideology on the lives of women and children today as a continuation of female erasure and silencing. This anthology comes at a time when gender identity politics and profits from an emerging medical transgenderism industry for children, teens, and adults inhibit our ability to have meaningful discussions about sex, gender, changing laws that have provided sex-based protections for women and girls, and the re-framing of language referring to females as a distinct biological class. Standing strongly against gender stereotypes, female oppression, and the sexual violence prevalent in all levels of society, women’s voices celebrate their lives and examine their struggles through articles, essays, firsthand accounts, and verse. Lesbian feminists, political feminists, spiritual feminists, heterosexual-womanist women, mothers, scholars, attorneys, poets, medical and mental health professionals, educators, environmentalists, and detransitioning women all boldly vocalize their unique perspectives and universal experiences. The contributors to Female Erasure know that their views are controversial, and many people will oppose their work. But they refuse to be silenced by critics, striving instead toward deep, meaningful discussion with readers about the biases of modern society and the future of women’s rights.

Written by Yeonmi Park, the harrowing tale of one woman’s struggle to survive in North Korea is told through two narratives. One narrative is Yeonmi’s story of escaping the hellhole she calls home with her mother and brother in tow, trying to find an opportunity for them all in South Korea. The second narrative is that of her little sister who goes back north with their father because he believes staying in North Korea is better than struggling through life, only to be caught and taken away when they successfully cross over into Chinese territory. It is worth reading this book because it gives a perspective of what is happening to the average North Korean, how many of them get caught and taken away and held in what has been called re-education camps, where they are tortured and sometimes killed. Yeonmi is a real hero, rather than just an escapee, for her keen insight. She tells the truth about life in North Korea. She writes about what life is like for children who are not even 2 years old.

Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent (Ma) and child (Jack), a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough … not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Janet Mock narrates her experiences growing up young, multiracial, poor, and trans in America with unflinching honesty and emotional writing, providing audiences with accessible language while giving crucial insight into the specific struggles and vulnerabilities of a neglected and misunderstood group. Redefining Realness is a tremendous vision of possibilities and self-realization pushing us all toward greater acceptance of one another – and ourselves – showing us how to be unapologetic and genuine like never before.

Meredith Hall’s compelling yet unsentimental memoir starts in 1965 when she is sixteen years old and becomes pregnant. Her mother kicks her out of the house after she is shunned by her little New Hampshire village. Her father and stepmother unwillingly let her into their home, sheltering her until they can ultimately expel her. Hall travels aimlessly across the Middle East after giving her kid up for adoption, surviving by selling her things and, eventually, her blood. Her long-lost son returns when he is twenty-one years old. Hall discovers that he grew up in squalor with an abusive father in the same town as her father grew up.

It’s a book that sends shivers down one’s spine and brings tears to one’s eyes. It reminds us of humanity’s depths of depravity and brutality, as well as the resiliency of the human mind and soul. This book is both profound and enthralling. It’s a one-of-a-kind read. Long after you’ve done reading the last words, the experience will linger in your mind. Seeing things through the eyes of a youngster seemed to be the best thing the author could do. It is highly recommended because the tale is alive with life and every detail appears to be pure.

This book is for free thinkers, for individuals who want to see life from a different perspective, for those who are looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. It’s beautifully worded and makes you think. This is the epitome of brilliance. Margaret Atwood will draw you in with her brilliant wordplay and rich mental images. If you take the time to think about this narrative objectively, you’ll notice that it has a lot of layers. This story forces you to engage in mental gymnastics, the type that encourages you to strive for more by reminding you not to settle for less.

Turn the pages of history, and you will find men stealing the limelight with not enough mention of female contributors. Surely, females played a pivotal role in various events throughout history. This book unfolds extraordinary stories of courage and strength few of us know about and reveals just how revolutionary female protagonists changed the course of history in their own ways across the globe and yet failed to make headlines. In vivid detail and with historical accounts, this book tells you why men writing our history books have continued to undermine and undersell the contributions of female heroes.