For women who want to learn more about getting active in politics and why we need more women involved in democracy.
Get inspired and learn more about politics, campaigning and activism with the books, films, talks and podcasts recommended by the women in our community and the Elect Her team. Covering inspiring examples of what leadership can and should be, detailed insight into political roles and systems, thought-provoking arguments on why we need change and advice on how you can start becoming a leader in your community today, there is plenty to explore in our reading list.
The Reading List
Books, podcasts, talks and films to help you on your political journey — recommended by our team and community.
💡 Got a great suggestion for us to add? We'd love to know!
Get Inspired!
Inspiring Leadership
Books
Women and Leadership: Lessons from Some of the World's Most Powerful Women (opens in a new tab)Buy
Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Women make up less than 10 percent of national leaders. Behind this statistic lies a pattern of unequal access to power. Drawing on current research and in conversation with some of the world's most powerful and interesting women about their lived experience, Gillard and Okonjo-Iweala explore gender bias and ask how we get more women into leadership roles.
Yes She Can (opens in a new tab)Buy
Ruth Davidson
Inspirational women from around the world with a variety of backgrounds and fields discuss their journeys to the top.
She Speaks (opens in a new tab)Buy
Yvette Cooper
A collection of women's speeches that changed the world throughout history.
The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World (opens in a new tab)Buy
Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates shares how, through her work, it's clear that if you want to lift a society up, you invest in women. Along the way, she shows the tremendous opportunities that exist right now to “turbo-charge” change, offers simple and effective ways each of us can make a difference, and introduces us to some of her heroes in the movement towards equality.
Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics (opens in a new tab)Buy
Rachel Reeves
This book brings forgotten MPs out of the shadows and looks at the many battles fought by the Women of Westminster, from 1919 to 2019.
My Life on the Road (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gloria Steinem
In vivid stories that span an entire career, Steinem writes about her time on the campaign trail, from Bobby Kennedy to Hillary Clinton, her early exposure to social activism in India, and organising ground-up movements in America — an inspiring, profound memoir of one woman's life-long journey.
Pleasure Activism (opens in a new tab)Buy
adrienne maree brown
How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? Editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in “pleasure activism” — a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the myth that changing the world is just another form of work.
Giving Back: How to Do Good, Better (opens in a new tab)Buy
Derek A. Bardowell
Do you wish you could do more to change the world but don't know how? During a period when British society seems more divided than ever, Giving Back highlights the people and movements taking on some of the most challenging social issues of our time.
How Compassion Can Transform Our Politics, Economy and Society (opens in a new tab)Buy
Matt Hawkins and Jennifer Nadel
Drawing together experts across disciplines — from psychology to climate science, philosophy to economics — this book explores the power of compassion to transform politics, society and the economy, with a detailed plan for its execution.
What White People Can Do Next (opens in a new tab)Buy
Emma Dabiri
Vital and empowering, this book teaches each of us how to be agents of change in the fight against racism. Emma Dabiri draws on both academic discipline and lived experience to probe the ways many of us are complacent — and can therefore combat — white supremacy.
Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power (opens in a new tab)Buy
Lola Olufemi
A bold call to seize feminism back from the cultural gatekeepers and return it to its radical roots, exploring state violence against women, reproductive justice, transmisogyny, gendered Islamophobia and solidarity with global struggles.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (opens in a new tab)Buy
Susan Cain
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts — the ones who prefer listening to speaking and favour working alone. Quiet shows how society undervalues introverts while giving them the tools to take full advantage of their strengths.
Be the Change (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gina Martin
An empowering toolkit for activism from Gina Martin, who led a year-long campaign to make upskirting a criminal offence, after the police declined to prosecute a man who took pictures up her skirt at a music festival.
Setting the Record Straight - Gwir Gofnod o Gyfnod (opens in a new tab)Buy
Catrin Edwards and Kate Sullivan
Based on the Women's Archive Wales project that ran between 2019 and 2021, this book captures the voices of female politicians in Wales during the first 20 years of the Assembly/Senedd, featuring extracts from interviews on themes ranging from “Parity: 2003 and beyond” to “Legacy and Recollections.” Available in both Welsh and English.
Merched Peryglus (Dangerous Women) (opens in a new tab)Buy
Angharad Tomos and Tamsin Cathan Davies
A compelling Welsh-language book that tells the stories of women protesting for the Welsh language and campaigning for political change — powerful narratives written by different women that capture challenging moments in Wales's history.
Podcasts and Talks
My Identity Is My Superpower, Not an Obstacle (opens in a new tab)Watch
America Ferrera
A brilliant TED Talk for women who live at the intersection of many different identities — a rallying call to see your identity as empowering, powerful and incredibly rich.
My 12 Pairs of Legs (opens in a new tab)Watch
Aimee Mullins
Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs — she's got a dozen amazing pairs — and the superpowers they grant her. Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be.
Women of Impact (opens in a new tab)Watch
Lisa Bilyeu
A YouTube channel featuring women who have overcome incredible hardship to achieve massive success, empowering all women to recognise that you really can become the hero of your own life.
Dangerous Times Call for Dangerous Women (opens in a new tab)Watch
Pat Mitchell
In this powerful call to action, Mitchell invites all women, men and allies to join her in embracing the risks necessary to create a world where safety, respect and truth burn.
Women with Balls (opens in a new tab)Listen
Katy Balls
Katy Balls speaks to women at the top of their respective games, including many political leaders, about their passions, their battles, and what makes them tick.
We Will Not Let Hate Win (opens in a new tab)Watch
Mallory McMorrow
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow defended herself against false accusations using her life story, delivering a powerful speech about our responsibility to take accountability for societal inequalities and protect disadvantaged communities.
Made in the Midlands with Jess Phillips (opens in a new tab)Listen
Adrian Goldberg
Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, Jess is best known for her campaigning to end violence against women — campaigning that's in her DNA. She talks about how her Brummie accent accounts for "at least a third" of her success. "The most important thing I am is a Brummie, without question."
Jacinda Ardern on Leading with Kindness (opens in a new tab)Listen
A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard
Jacinda was just 37 years old when she was elected Prime Minister, and a few months later became the second leader in history to give birth while in office, when she welcomed her daughter Neve. Her memoir - A Different Kind of Power - an aptly named book for someone who always pushed back against stereotypes and assumptions about what leadership is, asks the question, what if kindness came first? In this conversation Julia and Jacinda discuss their experiences as women leaders, Jacinda’s journey to the Prime Ministership and what life looks like for her now post-politics.
Films
Knock Down the House (opens in a new tab)Watch
Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick
Follows four female Democrats who decided to run for Congress in the 2018 United States elections: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Amy Vilela of Nevada, Cori Bush of Missouri, and Paula Jean Swearengin of West Virginia, charting their campaigns in their respective Democratic primaries. Available on Youtube and UK Netflix.
Get Knowledgeable!
Getting to Know Politics
Books
Women in Politics: Breaking Down the Barriers to Achieve True Representation (opens in a new tab)Buy
Mary Chung Hayashi
This essential, contemporary analysis bridges past and present, blending Mary's personal journey as an Asian American immigrant and former California State Assemblymember with the inspiring stories of trailblazing women in political leadership — a call to action to actively participate in shaping our democracy.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics (opens in a new tab)Buy
Leah Daughtry, Yolanda Caraway and Minyon Moore
A look behind the scenes at America's politics, told through the stories of four Women of Colour who have worked amongst those shaping US history to ensure everyone can have a seat at the table.
Everything You Really Need to Know About Politics: My Life as an MP (opens in a new tab)Buy
Jess Phillips
Jess Phillips lifts the lid on the systems and rules that govern us all, drawing on her tenure as an MP to explain the process of running for government, changing a law, serving constituents, wrangling with fellow MPs, and so much more.
Honourable Friends? (opens in a new tab)Buy
Caroline Lucas
From the NHS to corporate tax evasion, from climate change to immigration — this book tells the story of Caroline Lucas' first term in Westminster and offers bold, practical suggestions for a fairer British political system.
How to Be an MP (opens in a new tab)Buy
Paul Flynn
A guide for anyone fascinated by the quirks and foibles of Westminster, covering all species of backbencher and providing every hardworking MP with the know-how to survive life in Parliament.
How to Be a Minister (opens in a new tab)Buy
John Hutton and Leigh Lewis
Co-written by a former Labour minister and a former Permanent Secretary, this is an invaluable survival guide for ambitious MPs and a tantalising view into the working lives of the people we elect to run our country.
How to Be a Civil Servant (opens in a new tab)Buy
Martin Stanley
The first guidebook to the British civil service ever published, and still the only comprehensive guide on how civil servants should carry out their duties, hone their communication skills, and respond to professional and ethical issues.
How to Be a Parliamentary Researcher (opens in a new tab)Buy
Robert Dale
With case studies and guest writers, former parliamentary researcher Robert Dale tells the story of how the MP's office has developed over recent decades, combining practical advice with acute personal observations on how to get ahead.
Podcasts and Talks
What Do MPs Actually Do? (opens in a new tab)Listen
Parliament Matters
MPs don't have a job description — so what exactly is the role? This special explainer discusses how MPs balance constituency and parliamentary responsibilities alongside ministerial and party work.
Gwleidydda (opens in a new tab)Listen
Vaughan Roderick and Richard Wyn Jones
A Welsh-language podcast in which Vaughan Roderick and Richard Wyn Jones discuss the latest in Senedd and UK politics as they relate to Wales.
Walescast (opens in a new tab)Listen
Felicity Evans and James Williams
Your one-stop shop for everything Welsh politics and current affairs, with exclusive interviews and in-depth analysis of the big issues.
Films
Mrs America
Davhi Waller, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
A dramatised mini-series exploring the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and Phyllis Schlafly's opposition to it — through the eyes of the women of that era, including Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus.
Learning Why We Need Change
Books
Fix the System, Not the Women (opens in a new tab)Buy
Laura Bates
Laura Bates argues that societal structures perpetuate gender-based injustices by failing to accommodate women equitably. Drawing on the Everyday Sexism Project, she examines systemic gender inequality across education, politics, media, policing and criminal justice — and calls for structural reform rather than placing the burden on women to adapt.
Who Cares About Wales? Why the Welsh Need to Get Angry (opens in a new tab)Buy
Will Hayward
An easy-to-read but forensic investigation into how Wales has been short-changed by both Westminster and its own government in Cardiff Bay since devolution. Condemned to the lowest standards of living in Britain, the current set-up is failing Wales — this is a rallying cry to everyone who calls Cymru home to demand and expect better.
Why Men Win at Work (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gill Whitty-Collins
Looking beyond the facts and figures on gender inequality, this book uncovers the invisible, unconscious and unintended barriers that sabotage shared success — and offers workable advice on how to tackle them.
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose and the Fight (opens in a new tab)Buy
Stacey Abrams
Celebrated US leader Stacey Abrams offers a blueprint to end voter suppression and empower citizens, chronicling how the right to vote and the principle of democracy continue to be under attack.
The Transgender Issue (opens in a new tab)Buy
Shon Faye
An eye-opening account of the issues transgender people face in British society and politics, and what needs to change.
Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World (opens in a new tab)Buy
Marie C. Wilson
The book that led our founder Lee to originally set up the Parliament Project. An inspiring call to action explaining why we need more women leading alongside men — not just for fairness, but for the larger social good.
Your Silence Will Not Protect You: Essays and Poems (opens in a new tab)Buy
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde described herself as “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” Her belief in the power of language to articulate selfhood, confront injustice and bring about change remains as transformative and urgent today as ever.
Women and Power (opens in a new tab)Buy
Mary Beard
A bold manifesto for women's liberty, exploring the deep roots of misogyny and offering a roadmap for change.
Why Do So Many Men Become Incompetent Leaders (opens in a new tab)Buy
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
This book focuses on the roots of the leadership crisis, and how for years a surplus of incompetent male leaders have been able to rise to the top.
Difficult Women (opens in a new tab)Buy
Helen Lewis
A collection of powerful essays recounting the history of feminism.
A Good Time to Be a Girl (opens in a new tab)Buy
Helena Morrissey
Deemed the manifesto for career-minded women, this book discusses the need for gender equality throughout all aspects of life.
Invisible Women (opens in a new tab)Buy
Caroline Criado-Perez
Through an impressive series of case studies and research, Invisible Women provides a startling perspective on the unseen bias at work in everyday life, and its impact on women's health and wellbeing.
The Myth of Mars and Venus (opens in a new tab)Buy
Deborah Cameron
Deborah Cameron discusses how language can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences — from attitudes to “date-rape” to expectations of achievement at school and discrimination in the workplace.
A Brief History of Misogyny (opens in a new tab)Buy
Jack Holland
Explores the long history of misogyny, and how half of the world's population came to be oppressed by the other.
Equal (opens in a new tab)Buy
Carrie Gracie
Award-winning journalist Carrie Gracie covers her own experience of holding her employer, the BBC, to account, and investigates why women are still being paid unequally.
Attack of the 50ft Women (opens in a new tab)Buy
Catherine Mayer
The co-founder of the Women's Equality Party sets out compelling evidence for the social and economic benefits of gender equality, and lays bare the mechanisms holding women back.
The Authority Gap (opens in a new tab)Buy
Mary Ann Sieghart
A manifesto documenting the data behind the unseen bias and gap between men and women, with interviews from pioneering women on how to tackle systemic sexism in ways that benefit everyone.
Why We Get the Wrong Politicians (opens in a new tab)Buy
Isabel Hardman
How we end up with an unrepresentative, often unprepared political culture that passes bad laws — causing disasters, small and catastrophic, that flood constituency surgeries in crisis.
Revolutionary Feminisms: Conversations on Collective Action and Radical Thought (opens in a new tab)Buy
Brenna Bhandar and Rafeef Ziadah
In a moment of rising authoritarianism, climate crisis and exploitative neoliberal capitalism, this volume shows how freedom requires revolutionary transformation in the economy, social relations, political structures, and our psychic and symbolic worlds.
Abolition. Feminism. Now. (opens in a new tab)Buy
Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners and Beth E. Richie
Amplifying the analysis of vibrant community-based organising, this book surfaces the central — and often erased — histories of feminist organising that continue to cultivate abolition as a response to state and interpersonal gender and sexual violence.
I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World (opens in a new tab)Buy
Kai Cheng Thom
A heartbreaking yet hopeful collection of essays and prose poems that dives into the questions haunting social movements today — a call for nuance in a time of political polarisation, healing in a time of justice, and love in an apocalypse.
Podcasts and Talks
MPs Are Tired of Westminster's Misogyny Problem (opens in a new tab)Listen
Eleanor Langford and Noa Hoffman, PoliticsHome — The Rundown
Caroline Nokes MP and Abena Oppong-Asare MP join PoliticsHome reporters to discuss the continued issue of misogyny in Parliament, as Westminster once again reckons with scandal over sexism.
The Hill We Climb: Joe Biden's Inauguration Poem (opens in a new tab)Watch
Amanda Gorman
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman's poem, delivered at Joe Biden's inauguration, discusses racial and gender inequalities and their impact on the meaning of being American.
Climate Change Will Displace Millions, Here's How We Prepare (opens in a new tab)Watch
Colette Pinchon Battle
A passionate, lyrical talk urging us to radically restructure the economic and social systems driving climate migration, and sharing how we can cultivate collective resilience and advance human rights for all.
Fixing the System, Not the Women, with Laura Bates (opens in a new tab)Listen
I Weigh with Jameela Jamil
Laura Bates joins Jameela to discuss what's changed since she started the Everyday Sexism Project ten years ago, how systems are failing women, and why men's issues matter to feminism too.
The Authority Gap (opens in a new tab)Watch
Global Institute for Women's Leadership
A discussion of The Authority Gap and other recent books on gender equality and liberation, including The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing and Women and Leadership.
Gender and Leadership: Do women do it better? (opens in a new tab)Watch
Global Institute for Women's Leadership
Political Scientist and Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Professor Rosie Campbell, and Occupational Psychologist Dr Madeleine Wyatt discuss leadership in business and politics, the relationship between gender and leadership, and whether women really are better leaders than men.
Get Advice!
Guidance for Everyday Life and Leadership
Books
Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible (opens in a new tab)Buy
Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené
Packed with real-life stories and interviews with dozens of iconic Black women, this essential guide is designed to inspire a generation of Black British women to succeed in everything, from work to internet dating.
I Will Not Be Erased: Our Stories About Growing Up as People of Colour (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gal-dem
A life-affirming, joyous collection of fourteen essays, drawing on diaries, poems and chat histories from the writers' teenage years, to give advice to their younger selves and those growing up today.
The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart (opens in a new tab)Buy
Alicia Garza
Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza reflects on two decades of learning and unlearning hard lessons about activist organising — and how making room for those still awakening can activate more people to fight for the world we all deserve.
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change (opens in a new tab)Buy
Stacey Abrams
The handbook for outsiders — written with awareness of the challenges that hinder anyone who exists beyond the structure of traditional white male power: women, people of colour, the LGBTQ community, and millennials ready to make a difference.
Brave Not Perfect (opens in a new tab)Buy
Reshma Saujani
This book challenges perfectionism and will inspire you to forgo your fear of failure.
Mindset (opens in a new tab)Buy
Carol Dweck
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, shows how success in school, work, hobbies and every other facet of life can be influenced by how we think.
Presence (opens in a new tab)Buy
Patsy Rosenburg
When we are fully present, that's when we do our best work and make our deepest impression on others. This book teaches skills that allow you to be present, benefiting every aspect of your life.
Strong or Compassionate — The Binary Choice for Leadership? (opens in a new tab)Read
Patricia Seabright
A short essay on the historic lack of compassion in leadership, and why future leaders should look to being both strong and empathetic in their style.
Five Rules for Rebellion (opens in a new tab)Buy
Sophie Walker
Explains how we can convert our confusion and impatience into a powerful force for change.
Fair Play: Share the Mental Load, Rebalance Your Relationship and Transform Your Life (opens in a new tab)Buy
Eve Rodsky
Tired of always being responsible for the mundane domestic tasks in her household, Eve Rodsky conducted original research with 500+ couples to identify the 100 main tasks in any relationship — and how to divide them fairly.
Race to the Bottom (opens in a new tab)Buy
Azfar Shafi
A call for recovering radical histories of antiracist struggle, tracing our current crisis back decades to the fragmentation of Britain's Black Power movements and their absorption into NGOs and the Labour Party.
Podcasts and Talks
Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable (opens in a new tab)Watch
Luvvie Ajayi
Changemakers often find themselves as outliers. This talk encourages us to get comfortable being uncomfortable — for it's in those moments that lasting change happens.
Commencement Address (opens in a new tab)Watch
Sheryl Sandberg
From the 2018 MIT graduation ceremony: encouraging the audience to lead with compassion and empathy, be clear-eyed optimists, and other inspiring lessons on becoming the best leaders we can be.
The Power of Kindness and How It Affects the Bottom Line (opens in a new tab)Watch
Lauren Currie
Lauren Currie, founder of UPFRONT, presents kindness as an overlooked true strength in leadership, business and life.
Teach Girls to Be Brave, Not Perfect (opens in a new tab)Watch
Reshma Saujani
Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani makes the case for socialising young girls to take risks. "I need each of you to tell every young woman you know to be comfortable with imperfection."
Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders (opens in a new tab)Watch
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions, and offers three pieces of advice to women aiming for leadership.
How to Fail (opens in a new tab)Listen
Elizabeth Day
A joyful celebration of life's failures — each week, a high-profile guest shares what failure has taught them about success.
How to Turn Your Dissatisfaction into Action (opens in a new tab)Watch
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
The Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone shares how she refused to be paralysed by frustration and used her anger to bring about dramatic change in her city.
Nicola Sturgeon on Power and the Fifty-Something Woman (opens in a new tab)Listen
Sam Baker — The Shift (On Life After 40)
Nicola Sturgeon shares how she overcame others' preconceptions entering politics at an early age, and what it's like experiencing the menopause while in political leadership.
How to Ask for Help — and Get a "Yes" (opens in a new tab)Watch
Heidi Grant
Social psychologist Heidi Grant shares four simple rules for asking for help and getting it — while making the process more rewarding for your helper too.
Articles
How to Talk to Your Kids About Politics (opens in a new tab)Read
Katie Porter
Katie's advice for parents: don't shy away from these sometimes uncomfortable conversations or hard questions about politics. She shares how involving her kids in her election campaign helped open up wider conversations about political change.
Guidance for Speaking Up and Building Confidence
Books
Truth to Power: How to Call Time on Bullsh*t, Speak Up & Make a Difference (opens in a new tab)Buy
Jess Phillips
Entertaining, empowering and uncompromising, this offers inspiration and practical help to people who want to speak out at a time when many of us feel the world isn't listening.
Lean In (opens in a new tab)Buy
Sheryl Sandberg
How women can help themselves become more confident, and how small daily changes can help enact change on a universal scale.
Gravitas (opens in a new tab)Buy
Caroline Goyder
Leading voice coach Caroline Goyder reveals how to speak in a way that will get others to listen.
The Right to Speak (opens in a new tab)Buy
Patsy Rosenburg
Leading voice and acting coach Patsy Rosenburg teaches you how to fully express your voice in any situation.
Rise: Life Lessons in Speaking Out, Standing Tall & Leading the Way (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gina Miller
Gina Miller draws on a lifetime of fighting injustice, looking at the trauma, failures and successes that gave her the confidence in her voice and the strength not to let others diminish it — proof that one person can make a difference.
She Said: A Guide for Millennial Women to Speaking and Being Heard (opens in a new tab)Buy
Patricia Seabright
A guide for Millennial women on speaking and being heard — covering the challenges and the solutions.
Listen to a recorded talk about the book (opens in a new tab)
No Offence, But...: How to Have Difficult Conversations for Meaningful Change (opens in a new tab)Buy
Gina Martin
A guide featuring insights from various campaigners on how to respond confidently to difficult or problematic social commentary.
Podcasts
How to Own the Room (opens in a new tab)Listen
Viv Groskop
Viv Groskop talks to inspirational women, including many in politics and activism, about the secrets of brilliant speaking — the tips and tricks that will get you the attention you deserve.