21 Women Who Inspire Us To Make 2017 A Better Year

16. Jessica Valenti

Jessica Valenti is a feminist writer who is the co-author of six books on women’s issues. Her work has further appeared in wide-spread publications like The Nation, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Ms. In 2011, she was even ranked in The Guardian’s “top 100 women” for her work to wrangle a feminist movement online.

Her most recent book, “Sex Object: A Memoir” has gained serious attention and was described by Refinery29 as “a ‘punishing’ look at what it’s like to grow up in a world that hates women.” Refinery29 then interviewed Valenti about it. They asked her about the importance this book has with the, then at the time, upcoming presidential election.

"“I remember when the Access Hollywood tape came out, and pundits on CNN immediately labeled it sexual assault. They had the right language. I don’t think that would have been the case five or 10 years ago. I really don’t. I think that the work that feminists did, especially feminists online, really laid the groundwork for a moment like this, in which people are talking about this in a serious way. It’s like, no, this is not normal behavior for men. Absolutely not, this is not ‘locker room talk.’ This is sexual assault.”"