Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

We the Men by Jill Elaine Hasday examines the historical exclusion of women from public commemorations, national narratives, and legal recognition. Hasday talks about how women's contributions have been marginalized in monuments, celebrations, and education, while men's roles have been championed. Hasday speaks on how activists, like those pushing for the American Women's History Museum and suffrage monuments, have faced resistance. She tracks how courts have issued rulings on sex equality while simultaneously upholding restrictions, citing cases like Minor v. Happersett and Bradwell v. Illinois. Hasday also looks at how media and textbooks have inaccurately framed women's emancipation, often overstating progress. She leans into the ongoing conservative opposition to feminist reforms, driving home the need for continued legal reforms across the board, from pay equity to reproductive rights, and political representation.

We the Men: How Forgetting Women’s Struggles for Equality Perpetuates Inequality by Jill Elaine Hasday takes a much-needed, powerful stance against the ways gender equality has been manipulated to justify continuing systemic inequality. Hasday’s writing is incisive and clear, balancing rigorous legal analysis in accessible language that both myself and my daughter could comfortably follow. I most connected to the sharp critiques of Supreme Court rulings, and was pretty bowled over in learning about Justice Harry Blackmun’s Roe vs Wade opinion and the case of Michael M. v. Superior Court, where Hasday exposes how legal arguments often obscure the very inequalities they claim to rectify. Her ability to dissect the subtleties of legal reasoning and reveal their broader social implications is impressive. Overall, this is an essential read for a true understanding of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the means and ways that hinder progress under the guise of advancement.