After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It

by Julie C. Suk

A rigorous analysis of systemic misogyny in the law and a thoughtful exploration of the tools needed to transcend it through constitutional change beyond litigation in the courts.
 
Just as racism is embedded in the legal system, so is misogyny—even after the law proclaims gender equality and criminally punishes violence against women. In After Misogyny , Julie C. Suk shows that misogyny lies not in animus but in the overempowerment of men and the overentitlement of society to women's unpaid labor and undervalued contributions. This is a book about misogyny without misogynists.
 
From antidiscrimination law to abortion bans, the law fails women by keeping society's dependence on women's sacrifices invisible. Via a tour of constitutional change around the world, After Misogyny shows how to remake constitutional democracy. Women across the globe are going beyond the antidiscrimination paradigm of American legal feminism and fundamentally resetting baseline norms and entitlements. That process, what Suk calls a "constitutionalism of care," builds the public infrastructure that women's reproductive work has long made possible for free.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Law

316 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible analysis on how, despite gender equality legislation being adopted all around the world, the law still continues to fail women, how pro-men organizations resort to court in order to keep pushing the patriarchal agenda (while appealing to the notion of 'male discrimination'), as well as what can courts and legislators do to create a more just environment for all. A must-read for feminists, lawyers and all interested in not only understanding the world around us, but also in making it a better place.

P.S. On a side note, I also highly appreciated, that Julie C. Suk in writing her book took into account multiple legal systems (Sweden, Ireland, Germany etc.), instead of focusing solely on that of the US.

[Garret Macko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for school. It was quite interesting--I'm looking forward to discussing its arguments and methods with my classmates.

[Jaden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish bc I had to return the book and leave the country but it's def worth reading. highly recommend

[Ella Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, read for school// super informative and logical

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dense read with a lot of law and legal evidence.