“The Pocket Guide to the Patriarchy” Book: Demystifying Gender Inequality and the Battle for Equality

Maya Oppenheim’s book fearlessly navigates eye-popping statistics and stories, empowering readers to confront and combat injustice head-on.

This post originally appeared in The Independent by Maya Oppenheim on August 27, 2023.

In a personal anecdote, Maya reflects on a conversation with an ex who asserted that men face greater challenges than women. Maya responds with a collection of facts and figures that challenge this perspective, highlighting the pervasive issues of gender inequality. This conversation serves as a catalyst for the exploration of gender disparities in society.

As The Independent’s women’s correspondent, Maya draws from her own experiences and professional work to shed light on the myriad ways women encounter misogyny, oppression, and injustice. This reality is evident in both daily life and interactions on various platforms, such as dating apps and social gatherings.

To counteract this widespread misogyny, Maya suggests education as a starting point via her book, “The Pocket Guide to the Patriarchy,” as a valuable resource packed with statistics and real-world examples that challenge preconceived notions about gender inequality. The book covers a wide range of topics, from sexual violence to women’s health, and aims to educate readers and promote a deeper understanding of these issues.

Maya underscores the ongoing importance of the fight for gender equality, emphasizing that the battle against misogyny is not only affected by far-right ideologies but also by broader cultural wars and political divisions. In this context, the book becomes a tool to equip readers with knowledge and resources to advocate for change.

Maya’s book highlights that gender inequality affects not only women but also individuals of marginalized genders and underscores that the patriarchy’s impact extends to all genders. She urges readers to confront the denial of misogyny and gender inequality and to stand up against those who propagate these views.

“The Pocket Guide to the Patriarchy,” is truly a vital source of information and empowerment to further the cause of gender equality.

Head over to the The Independent to read the full sneak peek from her book’s introduction to whet your appetite.

Here is Maya’s opening paragraph in “The Pocket Guide to the Patriarchy.”

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“There is no shortage of grim stats that elucidate the bleak repercussions of misogyny and gender inequality. As the only women’s correspondent at a UK news outlet, I am all too familiar with these facts and figures. Take the statistic that between two and three women are killed by a current male partner or ex-partner every single week in England and Wales, or that a woman is killed by a current or ex-partner with a gun every 16 hours in America. Or that less than 20 per cent of landholders in the world are women. Or that 80 per cent of those displaced by climate change are estimated to be women.”

Read the OG post, along with Maya’s full introduction over at the The Independent.