7 books to read to stay in the IWD spirit

 

Feeling empowered by International Women's Day? We absolutely are! And it's important to keep those good vibes going, not just on March 8th but for every day of the year. To help you do just that, we've compiled a list of our favourite books by and for women. Radical, clever, funny and inspiring, all of these books should help you to understand the role women play in the world and become a bolder, brasher, more you version of yourself. Get inspired by these amazing women and their awesome words!

 

Ever wondered about what feminism is, but not been able to really get into it? This is an amazing entry-level look into what the movement is about, how it can help you, and what you can do to keep supporting all the other women around you. Get rid of all the fancy long words and the jargon, this book dives deep into all the important nitty-gritty stuff, but keeps it all grounded and realistic so that you can see how it applies to you on a day-to-day basis. Start to make grassroots change around you and soon you'll see just how big a difference you can make!

 

This one has been around for a while, but it's still as relevant today as it was back in 1990. The Beauty Myth exposes the myths around beauty, aesthetic and appearance which have held women back in the working world, and finds ways to help young women (and all people in general!) break out of these harmful stereotypes. Give it a read to find out how you can get to the top of the ladder without knocking down those below you or having to change parts of yourself to fit in!

 

We've put some poetry here on this list as well, since everyone can benefit from getting a little bit of female-centric poetry in their life! Feel empowered by Shire's heartbreaking and beautiful words about feeling shattered by the way the world treats you, but getting back up and remaking yourself anyway. If you need a pick-me-up after one too many things have gone wrong, you'll find no better comfort than in reading this poetry and suddenly feeling like, 'Yes, I can do this'.

 

A fun and inspiring look into travelling the world from the perspective of an Asian woman, it's a light-hearted take on the ways that different world cultures view women and womanhood, and the ways that we might be able to get around them. There are a lot of life lessons that can be learned from this - how to stand up for yourself and be proud of who you are and your culture, how to keep feeling great when the world tries to make you feel small. Take this advice even if you're not planning on travelling any time soon, it translates across everything in life and by the end of it you'll be feeling empowered to take on anything in your path.

 

Look into the world that tells young women and girls to always say 'yes' and let people walk all over them, and take some of the messages to heart: sometimes, you just need to say NO! Use this guide to overcome the societal need to please absolutely everyone, and start to put yourself and your career journey first. You don't have to make everyone happy - some people are always going to be negative about your success - so do what makes you happy and what takes you towards where you want to be, and you'll be happier and stronger for it.

 

The Mabu Mabu restaurant in Melbourne is a cultural institution of Indigenous-inspired food and recipes using native plants and produce. Head chef and owner, Nornie, will take you on a journey through some delicious First Nations eats, keep you fitter and healthier as a result, as well as giving you an understanding of the role food and produce plays in Indigenous culture. As they always say, eating well is the first step on the path to being well, and having the right food in your stomach can be the difference between slaying that job interview and tummy rumbling your way into rejection...

 

In this series of interviews with over 60 Arab women, there's an exploration of how the world works for many women living in both Australia and the Middle East, and the different (sometimes invisible) hurdles that can be in the way of Arab women succeeding in both countries. It's a real wake-up call for the way that reductive racial stereotypes reduce Arab women to harmful cliches, and that's something that many women can unfortunately understand from a bunch of different perspectives. We can all work together for a more hopeful future where stereotypes aren't used to hold any women down, no matter where they come from!