Ford - Boys Will Be Boys

PRAISE FOR FIGHT LIKE A GIRL

Brilliant it makes me want to chain myself to a barricade. Tracy Spicer, Sun-Herald

Clementine Ford was put on this earth to give courage to the young girl inside all of us. This is an exciting, essential book from Australias most fearless feminist writer. Laurie Penny, author of Unspeakable Things

Im going to come right out and say it: Clementine Fords Fight Like A Girl should be required reading for all young women in Australia Reading Fight Like A Girl reignited my feminist fire, my feelings of frustration Yes, Fight Like A Girl will make you angry. It will make you feel uncomfortable. But, ultimately, it will inspire you to create change. Marie Claire

Clementine is furious and scathing when she needs to be, yet compassionate and encouraging every moment she can be. This book is both a confirmation of sisterhood and a call to arms. Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull and co-founder of Hot Chicks with Big Brains

Fight Like A Girl should be required reading for every young man and woman, a brave manifesto for gender equality, harm minimisation and self-care. Claire Wright, The Australian

Fight Like A Girl opens our eyes not just to the overt and the horrific, but to the insidious, the unspoken or the disguised sexism, urging us against the habit of just making a commitment to equality and then going about our days beneath inequalitys umbrella. Katherine Brabon, The Age

Australian feminist Clementine Ford is never one to shy away from combat or controversy, and her first book, Fight Like A Girl, is a fierce and personal call to arms in the campaign for womens rights Fight Like A Girl is an important book for Australians young and old, and for burgeoning activists. Stephanie Van Schilt, The Australian

a potent mix of memoir and manifesto, equal parts fierce and friendly; an intimate, witty self-portrait and a rousing call to arms for women everywhere to know their rage, own it, wear it and channel it into fighting for change. Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times

Fight Like A Girl is fuelled by Fords clear-eyed defiance and refusal to compromise, and by her powerful combination of personal testimony and political polemic. In the vein of Caitlin Morans How to be a Woman or Roxane Gays Bad Feminist. Books + Publishing

Its a call to action but, more importantly, its a call to reason. A must-read for all women. Fashion Journal

Brutally honest and unapologetic Ford tackles societys double standards and contradictions, tackling these head-on like a fearless heroine Fight Like A Girl is a feisty call to arms for modern women Keep on fighting the good fight, Clem, so that one day we may all enter the ring with you. The AU Review

Clementine Ford was one of my very first formative feminist influences, initiating me into the world of feminism. She is someone whose tenacity and fearlessness I admire greatly, and she helped me along the path to becoming the humourless, bitter, lesbian feminist I am today. Rebecca Shaw, writer, SBS and WomanAgainstFeminism@NoToFeminism

Though casual in tone, Fight Like A Girl is persuasive and confronting you finish the book angryand rightly so It reminds readers to be angry, because there is a lot to be angry about. It is a launching pad into a world of intersectional reading, and more specific advice on how to rock the status quo. Lip Mag

Never did I realise I held so much rage against the devaluement of women until reading Fight Like A Girl Confronting, immersive and influential. Diva Book Nerd

Fords writing is explosive, hilarious and incredibly accessible without dumbing down the big theoretical issues too much perfect for teenagers its essential that boys read this kind of stuff too. Readings.com.au

Make no mistake; Clementine Ford is a change-maker. Shes undoubtedly responsible for introducing feminism to a generation of women who couldnt quite get behind their mothers Germaine Greer adoration and this book will do the exact same thing for a lot of people. It will make them question everything, even themselvesmen and women, boys and girls, non-binarythere is something in this book for everyone. Alpha Reader

Fight Like A Girl is a manifesto like no other reading this book was like finding a new friend to talk about feminism with. In Words and Ink

A beautiful, bittersweet journey to self-acceptance. A companion to all those still seeking to forge a sense of self. Clementine Ford has always been a bastion of shamelessness in a world that would rather see her defeated, and her book is a testament to the commitment she has to living fearlessly. I am comforted daily by her presence in the lives of young Australians, and Im beyond thrilled that we now have her unique brilliance committed to these pages. Caitlin Stasey, actor and creator of Herself.com

As a feminist writer, Clementine has placed great importance on establishing and maintaining a strong connection with the womens services sector, and to those who do the work supporting women experiencing male violence. The womens services sector places great value on Clementines writing, and that the relationship is mutually beneficial really speaks to Clementines values. The past few years have been a watershed for the elimination of violence against women in Australia, and Clementines voice has not only been instrumental, but has taken up a mainstream space that has aligned with and reinforced the efforts of the womens services sector. We love her for that. Ada Conroy, family violence worker

Clementine Ford is a freelance writer, broadcaster and public speaker based in Naarm/Melbourne.

First published in 2018

Copyright Clementine Ford 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of non-original material reproduced in this text. In cases where these efforts were unsuccessful, the copyright holders are asked to contact the publisher directly.

Allen & Unwin

83 Alexander Street

Crows Nest NSW 2065

Australia

Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

Email:

Web: www.allenandunwin.com

ISBN 978 1 76063 233 5

eISBN 978 1 76063 734 7

Set by Bookhouse, Sydney

Cover design: Catherine L Donaldson

faster pussycat productions

For my boy

Readers should be advised that this book contains detailed references to homophobia, transphobia, mens violence against women, online abuse and misogynist harassment. There are detailed descriptions of rape and assault. Please go gently if you are likely to be triggered by these things.

There is a much larger discussion to be had about the impact of the gender binary in regard to our understanding of masculinity and femininity. I encourage readers to seek out the work of trans and gender diverse writers with lived experience of this, and to continue to seek out the voices of trans and gender diverse people within feminism and social justice. Please note that this book is largely about the harm wielded by cissexist, heteronormative ideals of masculinity and, as such, much of the broader discussion of men in this context is referring to cisgender men who are for the most part white and heterosexual.