Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Suggested Readings Films
Suggested Readings Films
Suggested Readings Films
Books
Bad Feminist: this book explores being a feminist while Keeping Hope Alive: One Woman: 90,000 Lives Changed:
loving things that could seem at odds with feminist a memoir of Noble Peace Prize nominee, Dr. Hawa
ideology. (Roxane Gay, Harper Perennial: New York, 2014) Abdi, who provided both education and healthcare to
thousands of displaced Somalis (Hawa Abdi, Grand Central
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and
Publishing: New York, 2013)
Poor in an Interconnected World: an inspiring auto-
biography of a woman who left a career in international Kisses from Katie: an account of a courageous eighteen-
banking to spend her life on a quest to understand year-old from Nashville who gave up every comfort and
global poverty and find powerful new ways of tackling it. convenience to become the adoptive mother to thirteen
(Jacqueline Novogratz, Rodale: New York, 2009) girls in Uganda. (Katie Davis, Howard Books: New York, 2011)
Cinderella Ate my Daughter: this book explores the The Life You Can Save: a guide to how every person can
phenomenon of princess culture and in particular how take a stand against global poverty (Peter Singer, Random
the concept is marketed to young girls. (Peggy Orenstein, House: New York, 2009)
Harper: New York, 2012)
Monique in the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for in Mali: an inspiring story of an accidental midwife who
Women: a non-fiction book on the importance of investing became a legend and the young Peace Corps volunteer
in the health and autonomy of global women. (Nicholas who became her closest confidante. (Kris Holloway,
Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Vintage: New York, 2010) Waveland Press, Inc: Long Grove, IL, 2007)
Feminine Mystique: a book which sparked the beginning Sold: a series of short, vignette-style chapters, from the
of second-wave feminism in the United States. In 1957, point of view of a girl from Nepal named Lakshmi, who is
Friedan was asked to conduct a survey, in which she sold into sexual slavery in India. Lakshmi’s life becomes a
found that many women were unhappy with their lives nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives
as housewives, prompted her to begin research for by her mother’s words — “Simply to endure is to triumph”
The Feminine Mystique. (Betty Friedan, W. W. Norton & (Patricia McCormick, Hyperion: New York, 2006)
Company: New York, 1963)
A Thousand Splendid Suns: a fictional novel that uses
I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls the unique friendship of two Afghan women to advocate
Around the World: a volume that provides a searing look for female autonomy. (Khaled Hosseini, Riverhead: New
at the inner lives of young females today in entries that York, 2008)
explore sex, violence, love, body image, materialism,
We Should All be Feminists: a book-length essay that
identity, family, friends, and the future. (Eve Ensler, Villard:
aims to give a definition of feminism for the 21st century.
New York, 2010)
(Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fourth Estate: New York, 2015)
I Am Malala: an autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, the
X, A Fabulous Child’s Story: a feminist story questioning
Pakastani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban on
gender roles, and battling societies views on how they
her way to school and has since become a global icon for
raised baby X. (Lois Gould, Daughters: New York, 1978)
education in the face of terrorism (Malala Yousafzai and
Christina Lamb, Orion Publishing Group, Ltd: London, 2013)
The Beauty Academy of Kabul (2004, not rated): Shot just Hidden Figures (PG, 2016): The story of a team of female
a few years after the US invaded Afghanistan, this hilarious African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in
and moving documentary showcases Afghan women who NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
begin attending beauty schools after the fall of the Taliban,
ITVS Women and Girls Lead: an innovative public media
a freedom they did not previously have.
initiative showcasing films about fearless women leaders
Bliss (2007, not rated): Meryem is a young Turkish girl http://www.itvs.org/women-and-girls-lead
who has been raped and sentenced to die to expunge
I Was a Teenage Feminist (PG, 2005): The film explores
the dishonor her family feels. With the help of the village
the marked discomfort among many young, progressive
leader’s son, Meryem flees the honor killing and embarks
women to identify themselves as feminists and how that
on a journey to begin a new life.
discomfort came to be. Through personal narrative as well
The Color Purple (PG-13, 1985): A black Southern woman as interviews with feminist icons and everyday women and
struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her men, this film documents a complex, multi-generational
father and others over four decades. look at feminist identity in today’s world.
Difret (Not Rated, 2014): A young lawyer travels to an Iron Jawed Angels (PG-13, 2004): Defiant young activists
Ethiopian village to represent Hirut, a 14-year-old girl take the women’s suffrage movement by storm, putting
who shot her would-be husband as he and others were their lives at risk to help American women win the right
practicing one of the nation’s oldest traditions: abduction to vote.
into marriage.
Makers: Women Who Make America (TV-14, 2013): This
The Eagle Huntress (PG, 2016): Thirteen-year-old Aisholpan series documents stories of women’s contributions to some
trains to become the first female in twelve generations of of the most important moments in the history of America.
her Kazakh family to become an eagle huntress.
Miss Representation (2012, not rated): This exposé takes
Freedom Writers (PG-13 2007): A young teacher inspires an informative look at how the media portrays women and
her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply how the over-sexualization of women by the media has had
themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. a significant effect on today’s youth.
Get Together Girls — The Documentary (2013, not rated): A Powerful Noise (2008, not rated): The stories of three
Filmed across slums in Kenya, this documentary follows inspiring women are weaved into this documentary about
the lives of former street girls who are learning to become overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. There’s
fashion designers. Hanh, an HIV-positive widow from Vietnam; Nada, a
survivor of the recent Civil War in Bosnia; and Urbain, an
Girl Rising (2013, PG-13): The story of nine girls from nine
advocate for girls’ rights in Mali.
countries around the world rising up for their education.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008, not rated): Liberia, one
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for
of Girl Up’s four program countries, has been devastated
Women Worldwide (Not Rated, 2012): A passionate call-
by civil war. This documentary illustrates how Liberian
to-arms, urging us not only to bear witness to the plight
women united together to stand up to a dictator and bring
of the world’s women, but to help to transform their
peace to their country.
oppression into opportunity. Our future is in the hands
of women everywhere.