Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak

by Catherine Mayer, Barış Cezar (Translator)

Emniyet kemerlerinin tasarımından geliştirilen ilaçlara, odasıcaklığının ayarlanmasından yargı sistemine kadar uzanan çok genişbir ölçekte dünya adeta erkeklerin çevresinde dönüyor. Erkekler buavantajlarının tadını çıkarırken dünyanın her yerindeki kadınlar,dil, din, ırk, sosyal statü fark etmeksizin ücret eşitsizliği, cinselşiddet, ayrımcılık, ev içi emeğinin görünmezliği gibi yüzlerce sorunlatek başlarına mücadele etmeye çalışıyorlar. Catherine Mayer, busorunların ve sonuçlarının aslında yalnızca kadınları etkilemediğini,toplumsal cinsiyet açısından gerçek eşitliğin yaratılacağı bir dünyanınherkesin menfaatine olacağını göstermeye çalışıyor. Eşitsizliğinbertaraf edileceği bir yaşam için tartışmasının yönünü iyimserliğedoğru bükerek, “doğru olanı yapmak isteyen” herkese sesleniyor;“Eşitistan”a ulaşabilmek hedefiyle tüm insanlığı göreve çağırıyor.

“Yapısal eşitsizliklerin en büyüğü olan ataerkiyi başarıyla ortadankaldırırsak, kuşkusuz diğer yapısal eşitsizlikler de çatırdamayabaşlayacaktır. Toplumsal cinsiyet açısından eşit bir dünya şüphesizdiğer yönlerden de daha eşit bir dünya olacaktır.”

- Catherine Mayer

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Sociology, History, Womens

360 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2017

About the author

Catherine Mayer is an author, journalist, activist and speaker. Her novel TIME/LIFE was published in hardback by Renard Press and as an audiobook by HarperCollins on 9 April 2025, with the paperback and ebook launching on 14 May 2025. Her next nonfiction title, Send Them Victorious: Royal Women, Their Battles and Why We Should Care, is scheduled for publication by HarperCollins in March 2026.

Her books include the best-selling biography of King Charles III, Charles: The Heart of King (first published 2015, new edition 2022): and Amortality: The Pleasures and Perils of Living Agelessly (2011), Attack of the Fifty Foot Women: How Gender Equality Can Save the World! (March 2017, paperback Feb 2018) and, with her mother Anne Mayer Bird, Good Grief: Embracing Life at a Time of Death (Dec 2020, paperback Feb 2022). She also contributed to Dear NHS (2020) and Poems that Make Grown Women Cry (2016).

She co-founded the Women’s Equality Party in 2015 and served as its president until December 2024. She is also a co-founder of Primadonna Festival.

She started her career in journalism at The Economist, went on to hold deputy editorships at Business Traveller and International Management magazines and contributed regularly to the German edition of Forbes. For 11 years she worked as a London-based correspondent for the German news weekly, FOCUS. In 2004, she joined TIME as a senior editor, and later became London Bureau Chief, Europe Editor and, finally, Editor at Large.

She ran a data and technology think tank, has written and performed one-woman shows, a two-hander with Grayson Perry, and a theatrical piece for the Globe Theatre, stood as a candidate in the 2019 European elections, has served as President of the Foreign Press Association in London and as a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and co-curated the 2020 Festival of Death. She is on the founding committee of WOW-the Women of the World Festival. She has won awards for her journalism and her activism.

Since the death of her husband, the musician Andy Gill, she has released two EPs by his band Gang of Four, executive-produced the tribute album, The Problem of Leisure: A celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four, and manages his music estate.

Reviews

[Ruthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to buy this book by a friend who was a founder member of the Women's Equality Party. And there was much to learn and much to enjoy such as 'Progress is a spider's web, patiently spun from many directions, the intersection of multiple experiences and realities. It has great tensile strength, but it is also fragile.'

In June 2017 pretty much every political pundit was adamant: 'Theresa May will be gone by Christmas.' Writing this just after Christmas, May is still Prime Minister. Perhaps some of those pundits needed to consider the Glass Cliff theory: women step into leadership when the going is tough, often because the male 'insiders' avoid the job, at least until things improve. Then, if things go well, the woman is swiftly replaced by an insider, or if things go badly, the woman leader gets blamed for it. The story of Laura Lang at Time Warner, which Mayer witnessed at close quarters, is an interesting case study. This suggests that, no matter how bad things get, we will have Theresa May until Brexit is completed, and only then will she be replaced.

Interesting thoughts on a range of issues. I would have liked a clear account of the development of feminism - the first, second, third waves, a summary of academic thinking on the current position. Might have put things in context.

Of course, Mayer is preaching to the choir. Hence urging women to buy this book for the men in their lives.

But anything that connected with my friend - middle-aged, working class, born and lives in the South Wales Valleys - felt absent from the story of the development of WE. Mayer knows this is a problem with the new political party: that it speaks primarily to a metropolitan elite. So far, I don't think it's broken through this issue.

[Angelique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what the author wanted to achieve in this book. This certainly wasn't the book I thought it would be. It was a hodgepodge of facts strung together in a semi-coherent way. Although saying that, it was easy to read and that I enjoyed. There are three things that stuck with me: liberals suck at putting women forward for office, in Egypt, more than 90% of women have had FGM and the nordic model should be up for discussion. The only solution I saw was universal base income. I didn't like all the talk about Equalia because it made women's equality sound silly and very fictional. I wanted more hard facts, instead of what Catherine Mayer thinks about everything. Which is kinda what this book was.

Bit to remember, top of page 202
Some research does suggest that women tend to be more cautious and questioning than men. John Coates, a Wall Street trader turned Cambridge University neuroscientist, has studied the so-called winner effect, the testosterone boost a male animal gets in the wild when he wins a fight. The increased levels of hormone give him an advantage in his next fight, and perhaps for the fight after that. Eventually, he picks on fight too many and dies. Male traders experience similar hormone rushes, he asserts. Women do not. 'When it comes to making and losing money, women may be less hormonally reactive than men,' he wrote in his 2012 book 'The Hour Between Dog and Wolf'. 'Their greater numbers among risk-takers in the financial world could therefore help dampen the volatility.

[Colette Smithers · Rating 5 out of 5]

While channel surfing one morning, I happened upon Catherine Mayer on a talk show and was immediately engrossed in the conversation about Attack of the 50 Ft. Women: How Gender Equality Can Save The World!

The book is hopeful and inspiring in showing us the vision for Equalia, a gender-equal world, and through her extensive global research, Catherine recounts the progress some societies have made toward this goal. But it's not enough!

My biggest lesson is that it is not enough to simply adjust the patriarchy (political, business, religion, social) to accommodate women - we must change the hearts and minds of women and men, to strive for gender equality because it is good for everyone.

In reading the book, I realized that I am fortunate to be surrounded by remarkable 50 ft. women, who are individually and collectively leading the way to Equalia. With them, I "will not stop working for equalities or protecting the ones we have gained."

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one twisted argument. So women in this argument are too weak and intellectually narrow, they need an external boost from the patriarchy, thus proving what? Mayer turns out to be an agent of the Patriarchy, simply twisting the meaning of certain words in order to serve the System.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of this one caught my eye at the library - it's written by Catherine Mayer, who founded (somewhat accidentally) the Women's Equality Party in the UK.

This book contains ideas about how we can reach a mythical land called "Equalia", where women and men are truly equal. With chapters on politics, women in power, gender, masculinity, ambition, the sex trade, women in film, women in business, religion, technology and Iceland (the most gender equal society) - this is a really interesting read. It's not boring or waffly, it's written in an engaging way so that even though the subject matter can be tough going, it feels like a discussion with a friend.

I learned a lot from this book - I'd recommend it.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I teach a university course on Women and Power in history and I enjoyed reading about how the author founded the Women's Equality party in the UK. The second chapter was the most interesting for me as it discussed modern female heads of state and heads of government, why there are still so few of them and how they are perceived by the public. Some of the issues discussed in the other chapters were familiar from reading the Economist and other books of this kind about women and society around the world. The book ends with a description of what society and culture might look like if true gender quality is achieved. An interesting and thought provoking read.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Mayer seems to have put a lot of my thoughts on gender equality into words, although sadly her vision of 'Equalia' seems like an impossible dream. This would've got a five star review except for the fact that it did seem like a jumble of facts at times. Now, I'm off to sign up to the Women's Equality Party.

[Rakie Keig · Rating 5 out of 5]

It goes without saying that everyone should read this, even (especially) if you believe things aren't really that bad, that women are plenty equal already, or that equality isn't so much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Entertaining and enlightening.

[Busrauyarimsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bu kitap üzerine kaleme aldığım yazı 07.10.2019 tarihinde Gazeteduvar'da yayınlanmıştır: https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/kitap/...

Maske düşüren samimiyet: Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak

Feminizm, çağımızın en “popüler” ve saldırıya açık düşünce sistemi. Kapitalizmin yoğun olarak değerleri ve mücadele hatlarını silikleştirdiği çağımızda, bilinçli kadın mücadelesi de zorluk çekiyor. Kadınlar akla gelebilecek her alanda daha çok sömürülüyor, bastırılıyor ve şiddete maruz kalıyor. Kurulu düzen “isyan edenin” hayatını idame ettirmesini imkânsız kılarken, toplumdan soyutlanma korkusu ise bambaşka bir baskı yöntemi olarak kullanılıyor. Oysa tüm korkuların ve öngörülebilir olumsuzlukların karşısında durabilmek, kadınlar ve hatta tüm dünya için hayati bir öneme sahip.

İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak, son derece nitelikli, samimi ve sarsıcı bir çalışma olarak okurun karşısına çıkıyor. “Kadınların Eşitliği Partisi”nin (Women’s Equality Party) kurucu başkanı, İngiliz yazar ve gazeteci Catherine Mayer’ın içselleştirilmiş mücadelesi, samimi ve mizahi açıdan kuvvetli diliyle okuru kendine çekiyor. Aynı zamanda Mayer’in dinamik, çalışkan karakterini gözlemlemek, onu “pasif aydın” imajından uzaklaştırıyor.

Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak, 2015 yılında Birleşik Krallık’ta kurulan “Kadınların Eşitliği Partisi”nin kuruluş sürecine, vizyon ve misyonuna dair bir panorama oluşturuyor. Bu panorama okur için son derece değerli. Zira böylelikle tüm dünya tarafından “medeniyet” seviyesi yüksek kabul edilen ülkelerde bile, kadınların mücadele hattı oluştururken erkeklere kıyasla ne kadar zorlandıklarını gözlemlenebilir hale geliyor. Çalışma, “Dışlanmışlar”, “Beni Gerçekten Şoke Eden”, “Tüm Kadınlar” gibi oldukça ilgi çekici ve hayret uyandırıcı on iki bölümden oluşuyor. Bu bölümlerde dünyanın her yerinde kadınların siyasetten iş hayatına, eğlence sektöründen kültür üretim platformlarına, akla gelebilecek her alanda ve her şekilde nasıl sömürüldüğü istatistik verileriyle desteklenerek ortaya koyuluyor. Bu noktada Mayer’in hayranlık uyandıran çalışması adeta idealize edilmiş ülkelerin, toplumların ve sektörlerin maskesini birer birer düşürüyor.

Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak, cinsiyet eşitliğinin yalnızca kadınlar için değil, herkes için gerekli olduğunu defalarca ispatlıyor. Çalışmanın iç disiplini net bir gerçekliğe sahip: Kişiyi yabancılaştıran, ancak birey olmaya asla izin vermeyen sistemin kadınları çok daha ürkütücü bir şekle soktuğu ortada. Anne olmak zorunda olan kadınlar, çekici olmak zorunda olan kadınlar, ses çıkarmayan ideal eş olmak zorunda olan kadınlar… Ve bunlar yalnızca kadınların problemi değil; zira cinsiyetinin sınırları dışına çıkmayan heteroseksüel bireyler olmak, ataerkil sistemin belki de en büyük dayatması. Tüm bunların karşısında durmak ve mücadele etmek, zorba ataerkiye karşı aktif rol oynamak herkes için hayati bir gereklilik.

Bu noktada Mayer’in çalışması, adeta dördüncü dalga feminizmin geleceğe bıraktığı bir günlük. Aynı zamanda okur için de büyük bir aydınlanma: Zira çalışma içerisinde ortaya konulan her olumsuz tablo ırkçılık, homofobi, sömürü gibi yıkıcı sistemlerle sarmalanmış durumda. Okurun, bu sarmaşığın köklerinin yüzyıllardır ataerkil topraklarda filizlendiğini fark etmesi, dünyayı anlaması ve onu değiştirmesi için en temel gereken.

İletişim Yayınları’ndan çıkan Cinsiyet Eşitliği Dünyayı Nasıl Kurtaracak, Mayer’in tabiriyle “Eşitistan”ın dününü, bugününü ve mücadele sonucu oluşacak yarınını tahayyül etme imkanını tanıyor. “Medeni” ve “eşitlikçi” görünen ataerkil ve yalancı bir dünyayı, herkes için eşit ve büyüleyici güzelliğe sahip bir dünyaya dönüştürmek zor. Ancak Mayer’ın kaleminde zor olanın dayattığı umutsuzluğa asla yer yok. Dünyanın her yerinde kadınlar için yalnız ve güçsüz hissetmemek, bir kız kardeşin elini tutabilmek son derece mühim. İşte Catherine Mayer tam bu noktada, eşitliği isteyen tüm insanlara güçlü ve sıcacık bir el uzatıyor.

[Begum Zorlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which was easy to read, sincere, rich in its content and reflected on the process which led to the formation of the Women's Equality Party along with an elaboration of the Women's agenda and some key processes around the globe. It reflected how the party came together with an emphasis on the individuals, processes that made this happen.

It also made a clear and convincing case for a feminist manifesto. It investigated the dynamics of inequality and discrimination with important quotes like this: “Some pharmaceuticals fail us because they are tested on male animals to avoid having to account for hormonal cycles.” The author also underlines that governments without women that do bad but cautions that female representatıon is not only about the numbers it is about the policies.

When reading the book I thought that men should definitely read it.

The book also provided me with more knowledge about the political institutions, popular culture and parties in the UK along with their lack of gender policies. It also elaborated on other processes and struggles in the World for gender equality which were again informative. There were good comparisons and an elaboration of the domestic politics of multiple countries.

The only downside is that there are a lot of points and some of them in my opinion needed more emphasis and were cut short. Also there could have been more focus on "how it will save the World" in addition to the analysis of the current state of affairs and the historical legacies it was shaped by.

[Suha Oudah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's important to note that this book is written from a liberal feminist perspective where class or labor movements are demonized and other intersections are undermined. Women gaining access to capital not through social justice and equal distribution of wealth but through appointing female managers and CEOs is often brought up. On the other hand, improving the conditions of women who live below poverty line, or those who help the very women author supports and think are inspiring is largely ignored. Author makes it clear that she is working for the interests of upper or upper middle class women whose struggle is to become higher ups in establishments for which they work. Author shares experience in finding a political party for women. Throughout the book, author continues to vilify labor parties yet moans about expenses to run for election. Just who do you think is to blame for that? Author shares an anecdote about one campaigner knocking on a conservative door to inquire about whether they'll be voting for Hillary Clinton (2016) to which the white christian racist Trump voting, immigrants hating, MAGA hat wearing person answers they'd rather vote for Obama, in a tactless and misleading attempt to illustrate the urgency of gender issues compared to issues of race, in other words, oppression olympics.

[Sinem Ayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kadınların her biri erkeklerce ve erkekler için biçimlendirilen bir dünyada yolunu bulmaya çalışıyor. Pek çok araba modelinde yakın dönemlere kadar sadece erkek boyutlarında çarpma testi mankenleri kullanıldığı için kadım sürücüler kazalarda daha ağır yaralanma riski taşıyor. Kimi ilaçlar bizde işe yaramıyor çünkü hormonsal döngülerle uğraşmamak için erkek hayvanlarda test ediliyor. Termostatlar erkek metabolizmasına uygun olduğu için iş yerlerimizde üşüyoruz."
"...Bunun gerçekleştirilmesinin önündeki engellerin hepsi yapısal değildir. Kültürel önyargılar da engelleyici oluyor. Çoğumuz eve ekmeği babaların getirdiği düşüncesiyle büyütülüyoruz. Babaların çocuksuz erkeklerden ortalama yüzde 21 daha fazla kazanmalarına yol açan babalık bonusu farkının tek açıklaması bu. Kendi çocuklarına bakan bir babadan, nasıl da bu sadece kısa vadeli ve pazarlığa tabiymişçesine genellikle "bebek bakıcılığı yapıyor" şeklinde bahsedildiğini bir düşünün. Değişimin önündeki en büyük engellerden biri de bizim annelik anlayışımız. Çoğu kadın çocuklar olmadan kadınlıklarını tümüyle yaşayamayacakları düşüncesini taşır. Kilise, muhafazakârlar ve medya da bu düsünceyi memnuniyetle besler."
"Kadınlar düzenli olarak metalaştırılır ve nesneleştirilirken, sömürülürken, korkuyla sindirilir ve tabi olmaya zorlanırken cinsiyet eşitliği bir hayal olarak kalacaktır."

[Lisandra Linde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting and timely discussions of contemporary women's issues (mainly in the west). However, I felt like the concept of the book - in which Mayer tries to envision what a gender equal world would look like - didn't really work. Her analysis of current issues was good, but it was a little hard to get to into the interesting subject matter. The book fails to find its feet in the first couple of chapters, in which Mayer jumps between sketching out the concept behind the book and what subjects she means to cover and her own experiences of starting the Women's Equality Party in the UK. It took a while for Mayer's writing to gain any real pace and potency. The conclusion - a fictional tour of 'Equalia' - didn't really work and felt removed from the body of the book. Overall, there is little doubt that Mayer knows her stuff, just a little disappointing that her approach didn't quite work.

[Latricomtoise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book very excited about what it promised to offer (a description of a world where equality bewteen men and women was the norm). However, I found it extremely difficult to read and have to force myself to go through the end.

This book is not really a description of this ideal world, but just a list of facts glued together with the story of the writer's developing a political party. I did not feel like I learned much, nor that this book provided me with tools on how to move towards this society. I have read more interesting books on feminism and this one just got me very bored...

[Kate Cornfoot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to scan-read to finish this book, just to get it done. I was initially enthralled by the outlandish cover and the apparent promise of offering hope for a gender-balanced future - and ways to get there. But this book is just another turgid historical account of our female-centric troubles and tragedies, with very little in the way of hope or constructive suggestions for how we might negotiate equality in the 21st century. I want real strategies, dammit!

[tina]

Simply not interested in this writing style, its so dense and I have no desire to pick it up and read it. Which is unfortunate because the cover is so cool! I also might feel more inclined to read if this was focused on the United States' recent journey with feminism because I'm obviously familiar with my own country's political terrain and this book seems to be focused more on the English feminism journey and I don't really understand their politics.

[Berfu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Belki de yazarın anlattığı ülkede yaşamadığımızdan bana bir çok konu çok anlamsız geldi. Bu kitaptan beklediğim -arka kapakta yazdığınıza göre- dünyanın nasıl erkek cinsiyetine yönelik oluşturulduğuna yönelik örnekler görmekti. Ama bunun yerine, tanımadığım ve bana hiçbir şey ifade etmeyen bir sürü ismin kopuk kopuk süreçlerini okudum. Beklediğimi vermedi.

[KT · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy book to read, because it sparked several new thoughts and conversations. But so many of the problems facing women I’ve read about many times before. Perhaps in 2017-ish in the UK there was more cause to hope than in the US in 2020.

[Irma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, with lots of facts, good arguments. A very exciting reading

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully fascinating, extensively broad and intelligent if not smoothly written. An important discussion piece worth everyone thinking about.

[Roma Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. And although it doesn't provide all the solutions, it asks the right questions to get us started on the road to equality. Definitely worth a read.

[Charlotte Standeven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am definitely glad that I read this book! I enjoyed certain chapters far more than others... that’s why 3 stars

[Elinor Dorrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have given this more except it lionized Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

[Steph Bennion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to get through this, but it's very, very good.

[Dina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elime "belki ses olur içimdekilere" diye aldığım kitap maalesef beni hayal kırıklığına uğrattı. Yazarının kim olduğunu bilmiyordum ve ilerleyip araştırdıkça öğrendim ki kendisi Women's Equality Party'nin kurucularndan biri. Maalesef bu durum kitaba değer katacağına ondan değer çalmış. Ben kitabı tabiri caizse bir günah çıkarma olarak gördüm. Elbette ortada yanlış bir durum yok. Yalnızca adını Women's Equality Party tüzüğü koysa her şey farklı olacaktı.

[Jennifer Sims · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Sadly that was not the case. I couldn't finish it. It felt like I was reading facts and statistics with a few connecting sentences thrown throughout. I didn't feel there was any originality in the book. I wish there were personal stories about the author so the reader would feel some sort of connection.

[Ellie Pilcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good book about parts of the General Election 2016 I didn't know about.

[Mairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me mad