9 Books to Read for an Education in Female Empowerment
For International Women’s Day, we are highlighting nine eye opening, empowering, and motivating books. Make it your goal to finish 2, 3, 4 or even 9 before the next annual day honoring women in March 2017!
- Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Krsitof and Sheryl WuDunn. A call to arms
against the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. Through in-depth reporting, Kristof and WuDunn depict extraordinary and brave women from Africa and
Asia. These stories are filled with anger, sadness, clarity and hope, that show how a little kindness and help can transform the lives of these oppressed females. 
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. A novel that challenges us to change the way women are perceived. To stop thinking about what they can’t do, to focusing on what they can accomplish. Sandberg offers a rallying call for us to work together and create a more equal world.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christian Lamb. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced after the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan. She spoke out and fought for a girl’s right to an education. This is a story of a family’s struggle against global terrorism, the fight for a girl’s education, and the family that supported their daughter.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. A true story that depicts the life of young female entrepreneur in a Taliban controlled Kabul, Afghanistan. Her dressmaking business created jobs and hope for women in a time when they were not allowed to work outside of the home. The work of these unrecognized entrepreneurs helped keep their families fed and housed during a time of unrest.
- America’s Women and (number 6)
When Everything Changed by Gail Collins. Two books that depict the history of the United States through the lives and evolution of women. Covering politics, fashion, popular culture, families and work. These books cover centuries of progress for women – from the colonial era to the 1960s and the present day – and what it means to female in America.
All the Single Ladies by Rebecca Traister. A look into the sexual, economic, and emotional lives of women in America. Traister traces the history of unmarried women, who have radically shaped the nation through social, political, and economic means.
If You Knew Me You Would Care by Zainab Salbi. In this non-fiction narrative, the founder of Women for Women International, Zainab Salbi depicts the lives of women that have survived devastation and worked to rebuild their families and communities, overcoming adversity and loss.
Ingredients of Outliers: Women Game Changers by John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP. This easy read is a collection of interviews from 6 contemporary high achieving women in various professions, who will inspire you to do more than you thought possible, and follow your passion. We may be a bit biased, but this could be a revolutionary read for the course of your career and life choices. Don’t miss the opportunity to read it!
Have you read any books that inspired you to think bigger and challenged you to push past gender roles and labels? What has helped you in the past to overcome barriers in your way to following your passion? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Share these unbelievable reads with your friends and challenge them to read at least one before next International Women’s Day.
Leave a Reply