Life on the Road of Equality

I've always been fascinated by road-trips. Every Sunday, my family and I would go on short road-trips to enjoy the last day of the weekend. Trips to museums, parks, lakes, or beaches. My favorite part? The road. Honestly, I would be pretty happy to arrive at the destination, and simply not leave the car. Thankfully, my parents never let me.

The autobiography by Gloria Steinem, an American activist who spent most of her life "On the road" has been on my list for quite a while. It could be because of "the road". Or because of Gloria's revolutionary work in the feminist movement. Or because Emma Watson made it a part of her book club. Either way, I'm glad I picked it.

During childhood, Gloria's family spent years traveling as her father was a wandering salesman. In college, she chose to spend several months visiting villages in India to meet people who suffered from caste riots. Later in life, organizing meetings and conferences about feminism and women's liberation, and supporting political campaigners.

Gloria's experience in India taught her the value of sharing within groups. Group meetings are, indeed, an important part of the feminist movement. Bell Hooks, an American activist, refers to the consciousness-raising groups as a place where all females confront their own sexism as a necessity to break free from patriarchal thinking.

Besides feminism, her choice to support Hillary against Obama, Kennedy’s assassination, and interesting taxi conversations, this book makes it all worth it.

Most stories arise from Gloria's journey on the road. Not sure if the road is actually the road. Or simply the road we still need to take to continue the work on feminism and liberation. I will take it either away.