Fem·i·nism

ˈfeməˌnizəm'
noun
the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
synonyms:  the women's movement, the feminist movement, women's liberation, female emancipation, women's rights; informalwomen's lib
"a longtime advocate of feminism"

Simple enough, right? Apparently not. While women have made leaps in the journey toward gender equality, there is still a long way to go. Jessica Bennett's debut novel, Feminist Fight Club, outlines how any and all working women can combat misogyny in daily life. The overarching theme is that women join together and lean on one another for empowerment.

Putting Jessica's mantra into practice, we asked the author to give us some advice. Check it out: 

What was the turning point when you decided you wanted to write this book? 

I suppose I've been thinking about this book since I began my career – though I didn't realize it. It's almost an amalgamation of my professional life so far: it deals with issues I care about, and one that I think we're hearing more and more about every day (just look at the news). It tries to invoke humor as a way to bring people in, and it (I hope) speaks to people in the language of my generation. It was inspired by my real-life feminist fight club, a group of women I've been meeting with since I began my career at Newsweek almost a decade ago. We'd meet every couple of months, and we still do, to share advice, support, and tricks of the trade-- as well as the occasional bitch-sesh --from our respective jobs. Things have ebbed and flowed over the years, but the one thing that's remained constant: each of us faces these issues in our own workplaces on a daily basis.

Hillary Clinton previously explained that she is having a hard time navigating this campaign because where Obama's reactions are reviewed as strong and confident, she is often times perceived as a bitch.  What would your advice be to her if she asked you for it?

Oh yeah. Behold the catch-22 of women and power. To be successful a woman must be liked, but to be liked she must not be too successful: her likability eroded by her professional status. We may all know—or at least like to say we know—that women are perfectly capable as leaders. Yet on a deep, unconscious level we still find the image of an ambitious woman hard to swallow. The reasoning makes sense: for hundreds of years, humans have had it ingrained in them that it is men who lead and women who nurture. So when a woman turns around and exhibits the traits required of the former -- ambition, assertion, sometimes even aggression -- we somehow see her as too masculine, not ladylike enough, and thus we like her less.

I would tell Hillary to keep doing exactly what she is doing. Research has shown that the problem is that we still define leadership in male terms. We need to make ambition a female trait. Chip away at that glass ceiling and not apologize for our ambition -- it’s what’s making the cracks. And when in need of a confidence boost, remember you can always turn to our Queen (Beyonce) who only speaks truths: Who Run the World? GIRLS. 

There is a surge of female-focused companies and foundations like Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. Would you consider this a step forward for women or a step back because we are segregating ourselves? 

In the book, I talk about how important it is to practice Vagffirmative Action (we're very pro-pun here at FFC). Rule No. 3 of the Feminist Fight Club is: we fight patriarchy, not one another. I see women coming together to help women as a positive. Membership in the FFC means that you have taken an oath to help other women.

hat said, I also think it's hugely important for us to be talking about these issues within the larger context of human issues -- and that means talking about them in mainstream spaces, talking about them with men, and making sure they are being covered in outlets that don't only focus on women. This is part of the reason why I've so adamantly fought to have my articles published in outlets that are not specifically women-focused -- while still of course seeing great value in organizations like Smart Girls.

 It is difficult enough for women to succeed in a conventional desk job, but  writing a book is big risk. What advice do you have to women who want to  take the unconventional route for success? 

This goes for all women, regardless of the career path they take: 

Form your own Feminist Fight Club! Which basically is to say: find a posse. It doesn't have to be all women, or all people you work with. But you will have an understanding with these people that you have each other's backs. I speak from experience when I say that we are more powerful together. 

I've often times felt hit on in inappropriate situations—I feel weak when I just let it happen. How would you suggest I respond in that situation?

 This is the kind of shit we have to deal with every day -- is it any wonder we're exhausted? There's no perfect advice for this. I've had times where I've been in a similar position and I've ignored it -- and literally just refused to engage. I've had times where it was repeated and I asked the person to stop. I've also had times where I've reported somebody who I felt was making me regularly uncomfortable. I think the bottom line is: trust your instincts here. You should not have to put up with this bullshit, and it's never a bad idea to get the advice, or have the support and backup, of your comrades.

Join the movement Friday, September 23 at 7 PM  in LA! 
Girlgaze invites you to the Feminist Fight Club book launch. The free event will include a conversation with Girlgaze founder Amanda de Cadenet and Jessica. 

Location: 
Welcome to Junior High
5656 Hollywood Blvd - Los Angeles, CA

Buy Feminist Fight Club at  http://amzn.to/1U6u48J

All Photos courtesy of @jessicaBennett
and @GettyImages

Jewelry by @snashjewelry1