Three literary lessons for International Women’s Day 2025

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights: Equality: Empowerment.” The theme is a driver for a call to action, one that makes a real difference to unlock “equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind.” Central to this vision and this year’s theme is that youth, in particular young girls and adolescents, are that catalyst for change. So, today, I wanted to share three literary lessons for IWD and the next generation.

Like last year, when I shared ten must-read books authored by women, this year, I want to remind people to aim to follow the UN Women’s annual themes for IWD. The purple-hued marketing that has taken over our socials has been co-opted by more of a commercially driven, “light touch” approach, where it’s frequently used to promote an organisation, who then returns to gender pay gaps, unequal C-suites and maternity discrimination once March is over.

Back to the topic at hand. In the past twelve months, I’ve read a whole host of amazing personal development books. They have provided insight, research, and new perspectives, as well as confirmed many things I felt instinctively, but now I have the data! Today, I wanted to share three books with you and a key lesson from each that I feel needs to be amplified. I hope that you find them useful.

We need to continue to push back on the narrative that women need to change!

Right from the start of the book, “Fix the System not the Women”, Laura Bates dives into the societal norms and stereotypes that limit women. She doesn’t just call them out; she shows how these norms create environments where women must constantly fight to prove their worth. Women don’t need to “lean in” or be tougher or send to assertiveness training; the system is stacked against us. Everyday injustices are linked to larger systemic issues, but here are practical solutions for real change. Such as implementing comprehensive workplace equality laws and protecting reproductive rights. Her call for better measures to combat gender-based violence is both urgent and necessary, including more robust reporting mechanisms and support for survivors.

The changes you feel in parenthood are real, and they last a lifetime.

If you haven’t come across the phrase before, Matrescence is the process, named by anthropologists, of becoming a mother. Author of “Matrescence, Lucy Jones, came across the phrase in an article in the New York Times, written by a reproductive psychiatrist named Alexandra Sacks. Digging deeper, Jones found the first mention of a name for this shift in identity in an essay written by Dana Raphael; the title of which was Matrescence; Becoming a Mother, A New/Old Rite de Passage.”  Bringing us back to the early 2020s, it is clear how little research prioritises the psychological, social, and physiological changes that occur when a person becomes a mother across all disciplines. However, this book hopes to raise the profile and volume of this critical area of work. So, the shifts and changes you feel are a normal part of this new and changing stage in your life.

It’s never too late (or too early) to prioritise your wellbeing.

“Women can have it all, but do we really want it?” This is a message that so many of my clients grapple with. It leads to burnout, feeling overwhelmed, and a personal and professional life that isn’t aligned with our values. Instead, we work against our nature and our needs for the benefit of others. Within “Women Who Work Too Much”, Tamu Thomas reminds us of the possibility of a life that works against the systems that seek to control us: racism, misogyny, and capitalism. We are presented with an alternative that shows us how we can push against what society tells us is inevitable while confronting the intersectional systems and structures that hold us back. We are reminded to educate ourselves about our nervous system rather than find “quick fixes” to ignore the messages our body is sending us. If this is new to you, after you have grabbed the book,  revisit the power of radical self-care.

What lessons learned from your reading (or listening or watching!) would you like to share? Let me know below, and let’s continue to instil power through education.

If you would like to read my previous reviews, you can find them here.

My IWD Giveaway is LIVE. A chance to nominate yourself, or someone else, for Fast & Focusing Coaching worth £150. Find out more: Read or watch here.