One blink and a whole two months flew past. Two months ago I put Own My Mistakes to bed. Now it’s time to wake it up for another edit. During those two months, I’ve been researching the legal system in preparation for this edit. As the book is set in London, I couldn’t call on my police friends for advice. Fortunately, there’s a wealth of books out there—all current—about the many patriarchal systems, especially the law, and their effect on women. However, my research uncovered some very confronting facts. Below, I’ve given brief descriptions of four of the books I’ve read and highly recommend.

Every female should read Men Who Hate Women, 2020, by Laura Bates.

            It’s a chilling account of her own undercover research into the misogynistic Incels operating on the net. She describes how young males are enticed—often through YouTube—to the Incels by their sexual frustration. YouTube only recently took down Elliot Rodger’s manifesto, which previewed the horror he committed in 1994 killing young women in the USA. These Incels continue to worship Rodgers sharing harrowing violent acts they fantasize about committing on all women. Laura’s writing is straightforward and easy to digest—even if the content isn’t.  Her most recent book, Fix the System, Not The Women, 2022, delivers more frightening revelations about how many patriarchal institutes border on misogyny, especially the police force.

How Many More Women? Exposing How the Law Silences Women, 2022 by Jennifer Robinson and Keina Yoshida was again a daunting read.

            The legal system that operates in England, the commonwealth countries, and the USA was based on the Magna Carta, a document designed by white wealthy men to maintain their power and possessions against the masses. Any wonder a female can’t get a fair trial? Then there’s the Criminal Prosecution Service, which refuses many female victims a hearing based on the patriarchal prediction that a jury won’t rule in their favour. Currently, in the UK (and Australia) the rate of convictions against men for sexual assault or abuse is less than 2%.

            Another book dealing with the legal system is Harriet Johnson’s Enough. The Violence Against Women and How to Stop it. There is little change in the patriarchal hierarchy despite the increasing number of women in law.

She states that a female who has become successful under a patriarchal system is a supporter of the patriarchy.

So, despite the increasing number of women lawyers, barristers, and judges, they are not breaking down the patriarchy and giving women victims a voice in the legal system.

            A common thread throughout these books is the necessity to call out sexually biased treatment and abuse.

Every book had the same declaration—if you feel uncomfortable about sexually unwanted attention, regardless of how minor or “normal” it appears—speak out.

For too long, females have been silent about sexual abuse. Many groups lobby to give women a voice as Laura has done with her Everyday Sexism project.

There are laws prohibiting unwanted sexual attention—it’s not normal or acceptable. If every woman calls out this behaviour, the laws will have to be upheld.

          
All these books provide the arsenal to stand up and make changes for our sisters, daughters, and nieces. It’s a must, in order to stop our high rates of deaths because of domestic violence and abuse.