A vibrant, vivid journey filled with blistering energy. Sweetman challenges us, informs us, and most importantly shares her experience, which has always been the foundational aspect of feminist storytelling - Una Mullally
Feminism Backwards is part memoir, part documentary. A founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement (IWLM) Rosita Sweetman here gleefully recalls the triumphs – and the tribulations – of trying to drag a reluctant Ireland into the 20th Century, crucially, re-appraising Chains or Change the IWLM’s famous pamphlet, detailing what life was like for women in 1970s Ireland - appalling.
Feminism Backwards is also a howl of despair at how women have been treated worldwide down through the centuries, and how misogyny and sexual repression got such a stranglehold on Ireland. Having a survived a marriage break up Rosita re-found her feminism sadly buried, along with her chutzpah. She passionately believes feminism is not about blaming men, or pushing a few women to the top so they can be ‘she-men’ for the patriarchy. It's about creating a world fit for everyone.
