Yet, She Stands: A New History of Women and Power
“If women are not perceived to be fully within the structures of power, surely it is power we need to redefine rather than women.” -Mary Beard, Women and Power: A Manifesto (2017)
The history you know is missing half the story and learning it can change the way you think about power. By presenting a picture of the past without any women, the histories we usually learn today perpetuate outdated worldviews. Despite the many and varied societal structures that have worked to keep women subordinate to men, women have been able to navigate these barriers to impact the course of human history in ways that are still often too little known. Acknowledging these stories radically transforms our understanding of power and women’s access to it, with far-reaching consequences for the present-day.
The Decline of Rome. The Middle Ages. The Renaissance. The Rise of Global Trade. The Enlightenment. The French Revolution. Yet, She Stands provides a sweeping revision of more than a thousand years of history by examining these familiar turning points in Western History through the lens of women’s experiences. New roads opened to women. Others closed. Power was used against them in different ways. Yet, women persevered and stood tall in societies that refused to recognize their value. Drawing on the latest available research Georgina Emerson presents a riveting narrative and an expansive cast of female figures to illustrate how women make choices given the opportunities and limitations of their worlds. Enlightening, engaging, and often frustrating, Yet, She Stands provides historical context for women’s current struggles to be taken seriously as speakers, writers, witnesses, providers, and leaders. Armed with this new knowledge, readers can continue the fight to build a world where we all stand on equal footing. |