In this clearly worded and well-argued book, Kate Manne holds a mirror before humanity as to how women are put down. This is not a political book( though any attempt to bring equality is a political project and one can recruit this book for the political project). It is a philosophical, social, epistemological, anthropological, and psychological reflection on what is misogyny. Misogyny is a hatred for women. It is different than sexism and gender discrimination though these phenomena are interconnected.

Misogyny is all around us, even when men valorise and glamorise certain women, the misogyny runs deeper as Kate shows. Already hailed as a classic that generated much discussion among philosophers and academicians, the book needs careful reading in India.

Not a lot of literature is coming up from both men and women on the intersectionality of caste, skin colour, class, gender and so on. The most vulnerable groups, therefore, are left behind in the justice movement. For example, the transgenders from the Dalit community must be vulnerable than one can imagine. The privileges are graded and parcelled out to different groups arranged hierarchically in the caste society and within the socially vulnerable groups, women do suffer from the misogyny of their own men.

Unless one begins to deconstruct the misogyny inherited socially and so structured in one’s consciousness, the journey toward true liberation cannot begin. Misogyny is a hatred for women because they are women and it is often felt towards women who might challenge men’s privileged position in the given situation.

Here is a book that must be read. It is the book that can decondition men and challenges them to see the irrationality of misogyny.

Get your copy from here.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist