Be The Change: A Toolkit for the Activist in You

by Gina Martin

Without any legal or political experience, I changed the law and made upskirting illegal in eighteen months. But this book is not about changing the law. It's not about me. This is yours. It's your handbook, your road map and your toolkit for pushing for change at absolutely any level. From using social media to gain support and to getting pro bono legal support, to regaining your confidence after a perceived "failure" (hint: there is no such thing), I wrote this book to make sure you believe in your voice, feel ready to put yourself out there and know how to start making things happen. Because my god, if I can do it, so can you.

BE THE CHANGE is an essential handbook for the modern activist, whether your campaign is big or small, local or global . . . or somewhere in between. If you want to challenge injustice in your school, workplace or community; if you want to lend your voice - and more - to a charitable cause close to your heart; or if you are inspired to take on a complex issue on a massive scale, Gina Martin's practical and empowering advice will give you the tools you need to ensure your voice is heard, your actions are noticed and your demands are met.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Activism, Social Justice, Society, Self Help

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2019

About the author

Gina Martin is a British activist and freelance writer. In August 2017 she was upskirted at a music festival and began a campaign over the legality of upskirting in England and Wales.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina Martin could have easily written a memoir of her experience of up skirting and how her successful campaign to make this form of sexual abuse illegal and punishable by law. Instead we have an absolutely brilliant guide for everyone, and I truly mean everyone, to pursue change in their local/national/international community through activism.

Gina assures the reader that you don’t need to be famous or a celebrity, because social media allows us to connect to wider communities for support and input. However, she breaks down the process and makes sure the reader understands how to approach running your campaign, in a step by step process.

We have the ability to change lives and social structures for the better, and Gina inspires you to harness that ability.

[Mair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read this book cover to cover, I flicked through it reading the parts that interested me the most. I’m not running any activism campaigns (yet), but this book would be perfect for anyone who is or thinking of doing so, and has no idea where to start or what to expect. It literally is a toolkit for the activist in you.
Gina Martin is such a great positive presence on social media and this book is no different.

[Alison Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t strictly a business book – it’s a toolkit for activism. But if you’re doing business right, you too are trying to make a dent in the universe, to make life better for people, and therefore you too can learn huge amounts from this book.

A bit of background: Gina Martin was the victim of ‘upskirting’ – a man took a photo with a mobile phone up her skirt without her knowledge or permission at a festival, and she only realised when she saw the man in front of her looking at it and laughing. Shocked and horrified she snatched his phone and managed to run to security, where they made the man delete the image and called the police. But when the police arrived, they told her there was nothing more they could do: upskirting was not recognised as a sexual offence in England and Wales. Eighteen months of energetic campaigning later, it is now. And this book is Gina’s gift to anyone else who wants to make the world a better, fairer, safer place by campaigning successfully for change.

You might not need the detail on which petition platform is best, but you can definitely pick up some useful tips from her practical PR advice, for example on approaching journalists and negotiating TV interviews, and her social media savvy and advice on hashtag-wrangling is brilliant.

But quite apart from all the practical detail, what I enjoyed most about this book is its gutsy optimism: you finish feeling that anything is possible. In a world where listening to the news can be a deeply depressing experience, everyone needs a dose of Gina’s if-I-can-do-it-you-can-do-it mojo.

A note if you're listening to the audio book: Gina Martin speaks really, REALLY fast. I don’t say this to criticize – I can’t, I’m equally guilty – but this is the first audio book in a long time that I’ve had to listen to at 1x speed rather than 1.25x or even 1.5x. But it’s worth it as she brings so much personality to the narration: there are giggles, self-deprecating asides, and a fascinating bonus conversation with writer and blogger Aja Barber about sensitivity reads and privilege – issues that any writer needs to get to grips with.

[Gabrielle Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very useful and inspiring. I will take a lot from this read & will definitely use it in the future!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super engaging and hugely practice toolkit for the budding activist, with workable advice from everything to choosing your primary cause to having meetings with 'gatekeepers' and ensuring the media reports on your campaign correctly. Discusses privilege and allyship and how to ensure your activism does not stop at your own door.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“BE THE CHANGE: A TOOLKIT FO THE ACTIVIST IN YOU” by GINA MARTIN

Fantastic, down-to-earth, keeping it real. Great book, thank you Gina!

It’s time to realise that normal everyday people know, truly, what matters most. Normal everyday people hold the key to change because they understand, more than anyone, what needs to change. They see it and live it, day in, day out.” (p23)
Generally activism is about advocacy work, campaigning and social disobedience undertaken to shake up the current system with the aim of creating real, tangible ad systemic social, economic or political change. (p24)
Activism that succeeds is bold and brave. (p36)
THE HUMAN STORY: There is one thing that has galvanised the public like nothing else in every campaign, every movement and every effort since activism began: the human story. But now, the human story has even more power. (p57)
I want you to remember one thing: being more ethical in all your purchases is overwhelming and you’re going to want to give up because you’re not doing it perfectly (none of us do). The most critical thing to keep in your head when trying to use your consumer power more wisely is this: we don’t need a handful of people being perfect ethical consumers, we need millions doing it imperfectly. (p63)
Privileges are unearned benefits in my life. And if you’ve never thought about having privilege, that means, you definitely ‘do’; you have the privilege of being totally unaware of your privilege (p99)
Privilege:
• Recognise it
• Check it
• Use it (p102-3)
The most important thing you can do as a privileged person is give others a platform to speak about issues that you have no lived experience of. (p105)
LISTEN: As a person of privilege, we are naturally used to having an answer to everything, but an incredibly important part of being privileged is remembering that you don’t know everything about everyone.
So, when it comes to people from different backgrounds, with different experiences and especially from marginalised communities, your job is not to talk, but to listen. Then help them get their voice and experiences heard. Pass the mic. (p107)
“womxn” (p109-110) - A spelling of "women" that is a more inclusive, progressive term that not only sheds light on the prejudice, discrimination, and institutional barriers womxn have faced, but to also show that womxn are not the extension of men (as hinted by the classic Bible story of Adam and Eve) but their own free and separate entities.
Online hate speech: Collect evidence: Take screenshots of absolutely everything: info, dates and times, too, and the profiles they come from. (p141)
Don’t try and educate trolls: A great tip is to write the response you would send and screenshot it, then delete. You will feel like you have got it out, but you won’t have fuelled the fire. (p142)
The three A’s of a campaign:
1. Awareness
2. Advocacy
3. Action (p152)
Read personal accounts from activists past and present: nothing inspires me more than internalising advice form people I admire – people who have done the very thing I want to do. Gobble up their words and you’ll find yourself thinking more like them, and sooner than you realise. (p163)
Communication is key: Unlike regular dialogue, with activism your dialogue has to be strategic. It’s about quality over quantity: speak to the right people at the right time and in the right way.
1. Why am I saying this now?
2. Am I the person that should be saying this?
3. Who am I talking to here?
4. Is the angle of this going to help me get to my next objective?
Will me saying this help me or could it alienate me from those who I need help from? (p189)

The Elevator Pitch (1 minute):
1. The problem is a sentence
2. Evidence of the problem in a sentence
3. How you think this person can help
4. Why solving this problem is so important?
5. A single unarguable statement (p191)

Be passionate! Don’t hold your passion back for anyone. You’re the campaigner here for a reason – you care about this issue! Remember that and let your passion show – it’s what will get other people on side. (p200)
You and the Media: Control the Story (and Angle) – Don’t give them all the information they want. Give them only the information you want them to have. (p242)
BE PERSISTENT! (p251)
When asking powerful people to back you, the rule is: what is the simplest thing they could do that would have the biggest positive impact on your campaign? (p256)
No one becomes a better activist by refusing to work with someone because they think differently. (p273)
AFTERWORD: Be proud of your idiosyncrasies. Be human throughout it all and show it. we need more people who understand us to look up to. Don’t apologise for caring too much about the world, and don’t make excuses for feeling so deeply. Know when you’re right and admit when you are wrong. Realise that you won’t get things perfect the first time, and neither should you – you only become better by failing. Treat yourself as the top priority while you fight for what you believe in. (p282)

[Marcella Vötig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one, that was getting dusty on my bookshelf. I love Gina Martin and her work, she is great. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but the Subtitle „a toolkit for the activist in you“ should have given it away. It is pretty much a guide. I preferred the more general first half over the second, I enjoyed learning about her personal experience and how she worked on making up skirting illegal. The second explains things like the power of social media and some PR 101, it’s fine and surely useful, maybe for younger peeps rather? Dunno.

[honey]

I only read this before I sent it out as a Vinted parcel haha

[Esther Huntington-Whiteley · Rating 2 out of 5]

'If you think about it, activism is pretty simple: you identify something that bothers you and you try to fix it.'

I really don't like this.

And yes, I use the present tense, despite having read this years ago, because it still bothers me.

This book is a lot of buzzwords, a lot of political correctness, a lot of 'I's' and 'me's', a lot of narcissism, and a lot of bullshit.

Everyone I've ever met/heard of who defines themselves as an 'activist' hasn't actually done much good for the world. With the exception perhaps of those like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. But even then, having attended a talk by Thunberg as part of Southbank's London Literature Festival a few years back, she suggested that the most important thing we can do to challenge the climate crisis is to 'become an activist'. Not to challenge one of our most integral contemporary figures but...

'The truth is activism has become cool. It’s cool to do good.'

No, Gina, people like you made it cool, and made it meaningless.

I imagine a lot of different people worked on this book, and I also imagine that very few of them actually understand what 'activism' actually means.

The illegalisation of upskirting was very, very significant and when I was studying the legalities of sexual violence, the bill was mentioned a lot, but Gina Martin's name was not. Changes like this are- whether for better or for worse- not really about the people who catalysed them, but instead about their impact on society.

And (I'm really trying not to be horrible here) but what has Martin done since?

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the time of such political and social uncertainty, this book has given me hope. It has stopped me from feeling so small in all of this, and made me realise that I have power and a voice, and I can use both with the right tools.

Be The Change was written in such an accessible way, making such huge change as Gina did seem even more possible to achieve. Gina Miller writes with such passion, it is hard not to find it infectious and want to make an impact.

I love the concept behind this book; showing the insides of a young woman making a positive change for the country and that it is possible without any legal or political experience. This is a book I reccomend to anyone feeling disengaged with politics, but especially to young women for a successful role model figure.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my review on my blog: https://bound2books.co/2019/08/16/a-r...

When I saw Gina Martin’s activism guide, I was intrigued. I spent most of my early life and teenage years volunteering, raising money for charities, and working with different NGOs to spread awareness and help raise funds. It was an extremely rewarding time in my life, and I was able to raise over 40,000 AUD for various charities before I turned 13. I was awarded Young Volunteer of Year when I was a teenager and was also a member of St John Ambulance—a volunteer first aid service—for many years throughout my teens. I learnt a lot of skills that have helped me help people, and I am extremely grateful for that time. Throughout school, I was bullied a lot for my charity work. I was made fun of and ostracised. To be honest, I hated how I was treated in school, but I really hated how fellow classmates would find out about my charity work through local newspapers and use it make fun of me at school. If I am honest, those bullies stopped me doing a lot more with my charity work. I needed to fly under the radar to survive, so I slowly stopped doing things or I would do things more annonymously. Volunteering, activism, and charity work didn’t just attract bullies at school for me. When I was 9, I had a stalker who called my house regularly to describe what I had been wearing at school and what they wanted to do with me. I was the youngest person to be nominated for an Australia Day award in my home town, and the write-up in the paper had attracted my stalker. I wasn’t allowed to answer the phone and my father started to drop me off and pick me up from school.

I wanted to share this personal story of my experiences with activism, volunteering, and charity work because whilst it can be extremely rewarding and life changing, it can also be really scary to put yourself out in the world for a cause. Some people will admire and support your work, and others will systematically tear you down. When I started getting into activism, I was young, and there was definitely no guide books. I had really supportive and understanding parents who wanted to help me achieve my dreams to help people in need. Although not everyone can have this level of support.

Be The Change is the perfect guide book for navigating activism in our contemporary social media-fuelled society. Martin gives you a detailed plan to help you achieve your activism goals. Martin is right in stating that the digital world has completely changed the way we interact with the world and therefore, how we can campaign for things. It has both an extremely positive and negative impact on our lives. It is easier to share human stories and helps you get your message out in the world with very little money behind it. Hashtags are changing the world.

Martin lists all the pros and cons of different campaign styles from crowdfunding, how to use different social media platforms for your cause, the effectiveness of petitions, and how to get the right people to listen to your voice. Martin wanted to make upskirting—someone taking nonconsensual pictures up someone’s dress or skirt—a criminal offence in England. So her campaign involved lawmakers and politicians. However, as Martin outlines in her book, everyone’s campaign will be a little different and will require different work. The most important advice Martin gives is to ask people to envisage their end goal, then work backwards to create a timeline for the activism. Whilst you are doing this, Martin also asks you to look at how your privileges might shape your worldview and therefore your activism.

If you have ever wanted a book to kickstart your activism or help you reach further with your goals, Martin’s book is really easy to understand and read. She has some excellent advice and also gives tips for regular people who maybe don’t have time to campaign but still want to make the world better through ethical shopping, for example.

Have you ever worked in volunteering, activism, or charity? What were your experiences with it, and what advice would you give to people just starting. As always, share the reading love.

[Stevie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Be The Change by Gina Martin is marketed as an empowering guide to activism, but after reading it, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by its lack of depth and substance. While Martin’s story of campaigning to make upskirting illegal is admirable, the book reveals more about performative activism than genuine, thoughtful advocacy.

Martin comes across as a "performance activist"—someone who has leveraged the cultural moment of movements like #MeToo to propel herself into the spotlight. Her approach feels more about following trends than engaging in meaningful, sustained change. If activism weren’t fashionable, it’s hard to imagine her involvement in any cause at all.

The book frequently highlights her reliance on social media as a platform, which only amplifies the sense that her activism is more self-serving than selfless. There’s little intellectual depth here, with much of her focus seemingly on complaining rather than creating tangible solutions. Ironically, as the book suggests, much of the heavy lifting in her campaign was reportedly done by others—often men—while Martin took center stage.

What concerns me most is the broader impact figures like Martin might have, particularly as role models in schools or communities. Their superficial understanding of complex issues makes them unfit to teach or mentor young minds. There are far better advocates out there—people with real expertise and commitment to driving genuine change.

Overall, Be The Change feels like a missed opportunity. While it may inspire some readers to start thinking about activism, it lacks the authenticity and depth required to truly educate or empower. For those seeking guidance on making meaningful change, there are far more impactful voices to turn to.

[Ella Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the book. Love Gina Martin!! I guess I was reading it from the perspective of someone trying to integrate into a pre-existing movement and how you can develop as an individual within that space. This book is more for people aiming to start something from scratch. It also seemed like it was for people aiming to be an Activist because they enjoy Activism - not because of a desire to make a difference about something specific which came across as slightly saviour-complex-y. Very readable style and nice font spacing so I did finish it! Had a lot of interesting points on mobilising. Definitely a palatable starting point.

Overall a good book for someone completely new to activism with a ‘vague’ goal in mind - but not what I was looking for at the moment.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book for many reason;
1. It was accessible and easy to read on an important subject matter.
2. The book was driven by Gina Martin's experience and her knowledge. She offers helpful advice but by no means claims to be the ultimate expert and offers lots of signposting.
3. She thinks about her privilege and encourages you to do so too.
4. It's been driven by a very real and important experience that Gina underwent.

Having gone to one of Gina Martin's book signings she came across as a a very real, relatable, passionate and caring woman and I hope that we see more of her work (especially the activism) in the future.

Full thoughts to come.

[Jax · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this would be an interesting book about Gina Martin's journey (the law was changed, ['upskirting' - is now illegal thanks to her campaigning], but it is so much more. IT IS A BRILLIANT HOW TO. It feels that there is a lot of helplessness in the world, currently. This book is literally what is say on the cover BE THE CHANGE. It is a manual on how to (successfully) be an activist.
This book has filled me with endless hope.
Well done, Gina!!!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.

[Lynne Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina's story is fairly inspiring and there are some really great (if sometimes very context specific) tips in this book for those starting out (or even part way along) on their activism journey. Not wanting to seem too prudish, I sometimes found the swearing unnecessary (although, I acknowledge that the anger behind the language was often warranted)- but I guess Gina does have a pretty distinct voice as a writer on the subject of social justice. I'd recommend this to young adults who are looking to be inspired and feel they have agency in an increasingly frustrating world. It's also a good book to keep to hand and go back to as a practical 'how to' manual for leading a campaign.

[Alva Rasmussen]

Kan väl bara konstatera att jag inte var i rätt målgrupp för den här boken? Förutom det faktum att jag inte har något brinnande intresse av att vara aktivist så är jag rätt ointresserad av den enkla analys för redan initierade i internetfeminism och buzzfeed-jargongen som representeras här. Tror däremot att boken kan vara till stor inspiration och hjälp för yngre, exempelvis gymnasieelever, med stort politiskt intresse.
Själv fick jag en del tankeställare om att checka mina privilegier och göra det jag kan i det lilla för att göra världen bättre.

[Liis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an empowering and inspiring toolkit for activists-to-be, or for those, who just want a handy guide, how to communicate ideas in a clear manner across mediums to reach a desired goal.

Not much to discover for someone working in marketing/PR/advertising/etc. But, all readers can at least be reminded, how simple tools, tricks and, above all, persistence can lead to changes (in this book, a law about upskirting, and another small victory for women). Hopefully, “Be the Change” sparks a need to fight for something close to heart in our communities.

[Maeva]

Intéressant de voir tout ce que Gina Martin considère comme important pour créer du changement dans la société et nous savons tous à quel point elle a besoin de changer !

Intéressant pour toute personne qui s'intéresse aux associations, aux mouvement sociaux mais particulièrement intéressant si vous voulez vous lancer et que vous ne savez pas où quoi et comment. La plupart des réponses sont dans ce livre.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Gina Martin writes like a friend who has known you forever, it’s so accessible and it really does bring activism back down to the ground. It’s a very practical and useful guide, especially in regards to the “road” you will take as an activist, tips to build your confidence and ways to work with the media. I learnt a lot of new things and will definitely be flipping back through the pages when the time is right.

[Victoria Kinkaid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 20 of 2024✅

3.5/5⭐️

Publishers blurb: “BE THE CHANGE is an essential handbook for the modern activist, whether your campaign is big or small, local or global, or somewhere in between.”

Really enjoyed this optimistic read on how to be an activist 📚
Some great insights from Gina’s own amazing campaign to make Upskirting a criminal offence

[Sladjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in a social media/journalism bubble so there wasn't a lot of new or useful information for me but the book was really inspiring and well written, nervertheless. Would gift it to anyone with big dreams and goals!

[Maddybuttercup · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an amazing resource! It is super in depth and informative and gives practical steps to take. She also writes about privilege in activism which was great. She often relates the book back to her own activism experience so you know she's nows what she's talking about. 5 stars!

[Raegan Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even with no plans to become an activist, this book was very informative and a good read. With chapters on white privilege, good communication etc. I’m glad I’ve read it. Would be a great handbook for an activist too

[Chloe Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and accessible read! I think a lot of people would benefit from reading this at some point to get inspired. It was great to see Gina Martin reflect on her white privilege (amongst others) and have Aja Barber help her further reflect on them.

[Francesca Astraea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really engaging and informative, highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about social activism and how to campaign, whether for a cause or business.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an activist of any kind...
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!

[Katie Slane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Self-education is the single most important thing we can do to challenge society".

[Laura Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect for anyone who want to change the world and have a lasting impact in relation to a specific issue. Gina Millar breaks down the expansive issue of activism into bitesize chunks and makes it relatable by showing how each of the parts relates to her own journey which ended in up skirting being made illegal in England and Wales. This is a perfect gift for others or even yourself!

[Alesi Horan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina is an absolute legend ! A concise and helpful guide to activism 💜