16 books about women's rights to add to your reading list right now

The only reading list you'll need this International Women's Day

International Women's Day

Every March we get to celebrate Women's History Month, while here at Marie Claire we champion inspiring women all year round, but International Women's Day on 8th March is definitely one of our favourites. 

We're all about taking action, but in order to do this, we must first educate ourselves. "Knowledge will bring you the opportunity to make a difference," human rights activist Claire Fagin once said, and what better knowledge than through feminist books from the women who have paved the way?

Essential reading:

Women and Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard,was £6.99 now £5.03 | WH Smith

Women and Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard, was £6.99 now £5.03 | WH SmithWomen and Power is made up of two essays based on Mary’s hit lectures, ‘The Public Voice of Women’ and ‘Women in Power’. Analysing Homer and Ovid, this manifesto traces the roots of misogyny back to Athens and Rome, looking into how history has treated powerful women.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan,£9.99 | Foyles

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, £9.99 | FoylesThe Feminine Mystique is a landmark book, challenging the assumption that women could be fulfilled through housework and motherhood alone. It is often credited with sparking the second-wave feminism in the US.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,£5.99 | Waterstones

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, £5.99 | WaterstonesWe Should All Be Feminists is an essay adapted from Nigerian author Chimanda Ngozi Adichie's 2012 TEDx talk, breaking down the definition of feminism for the 21st century.

Best feminist books to buy now:

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.