Best Vegan Feminist Reads

Hey there folx! And welcome to our first ever blog post <3 As probably most of them, it’s going to be biased, imperfect, totally not academic but very honest and well-intended <3 Those who know me in person (Hi, it’s Marika here) will not be surprised to see what topic I’ve chosen for this historic (not really) moment. Although labels are very tricky, I’ll say this – I consider myself an intersectional (vegan) feminist. Why? Because a single-issue approach to veganism (and to feminism) is definitely not my thing. So saying #nothanks to systemic oppression must equal consistent #hellno to all of its faces (and unfortunately – there are many). So, if you recognize that patriarchy oppresses and objectifies womxn in ways similar to non-human animal oppression and therefore think animal liberation should go hand in hand with women’s liberation – this post is for you. There’s a loooot literature on the topic out there but first let’s cover the basics. Here are some of the best vegan feminist reads that I would recommend to learn more about. I hope that you find them insightful, educational, inspiring and helpful in creating a more inclusive and juster movement

1. The Sexual Politics of Meat

If there’s anyone you should know about when talking about vegan feminist discourse it’s Carol J. Adams – feminist-vegan advocate, activist, independent scholar and the author. Her most known and acclaimed book – the Sexual Politics of Meat was first published 30 years ago (!) and is hyper-relevant up to this day. In short:

“The book explores a relationship between patriarchal values and meat eating by interweaving the insights of feminism, vegetarianism, animal defense, and literary theory. It explains the concept of “the absent referent” – “behind every meal of meat is an absence: the death of the animal whose place the meat takes (…) The absent referent functions to cloak the violence inherent to meat eating, to protect the conscience of the meat eater and render the idea of individual animals as immaterial to anyone’s selfish desires (…)

The author argues that male dominance and animals’ oppression are linked by the way that both women and animals function as absent referents in meat eating and dairy production, and that feminist theory logically contains a vegan critique…just as veganism covertly challenges patriarchal society. Patriarchy is a gender system that is implicit in human/animal relationships.” 

Once you read the book, there’s no coming back – you can no longer not see and/or deny the intertwined relationship between feminism and veganism. A MUST READ.

2.Ecofeminism – the concept, books & scholar articles

Ecofeminism, as a concept, examines the relationships between feminism, nature and environmentalism. Ecofeminists put emphasis on the ethics of care and underline the importance of context in analysing the world and its complexities. If you want to learn more about it I would recommend looking into work of some of the leading ecofeminists in the movement: Greta Gaard, Carol J. Adams (look point 1), Karen J. Warren, Lori Gruen, to name a few. There are a few books on ecofeminism and I think whichever you pick up to read would be a good choice. My top of mind: 

1) Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, Nature by Karen J. Warren

2) Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth – a collection of essays edited by Carol J. Adams

3) Ecofeminism and the Sacred by Carol J. Adams

3. Defiant Daughters

If you’re not so much into critical theory or it’s easier for you to understand concepts through real examples and human connection – this one is for you! Defiant Daughters is a collection of 21 personal stories of inspiring women discussing art, activism, animals and….The Sexual Politics of Meat book and how it changed their lives (told you it’s everywhere once you know it!). Insightful, uplifting, bold and fresh!

*the book is available in our cafe

4. Vegan Feminist Network

Well…not really a book but nonetheless relevant and great open source! Vegan Feminist Network is a community platform for activists of all backgrounds with the aim of eradicating oppressions and improving inclusiveness through dialogue and educational resources.

What exactly can you find in there? Great essays, interesting and thought-provoking articles, very well-selected recommended reading lists and a funny-yet-strong-in-content podcast (by Phd. Corey Wrenn and our dear Plant-Base-Book-Club member Brian). Like it wasn’t enough of greatness, there’s also a vegan feminist history timeline, a so called organization watch ( = calling out vegan organizations and entities on their one-sided bullshit), lectures and more!

So, no excuses here – everything is out there for free, so get to it NOW <3

5. Aphro-ism and more from its authors

When I think or speak of feminism I definitely do not mean white feminism – and that should be true to all of us #checkyourprivilege…That is why anything that comes from Aph Ko – a decolonial theorist, independent digital media producer and writer should end up on your to-read list. Where to start? With what started as a blog and was later turned into a book called Aphro-sism – an accessible and provocative collection providing new theoretical frameworks on race, advocacy for nonhuman animals, and feminism. The Ko sisters’ writings analyze the often compartmentalized nature of contemporary social movements and will surely help you understand how interconnected oppressions work.

*the book is available in our cafe

I hope those (biased:)) recommendations inspire you to dig deeper, start spreading some vegan feminist message and equip with tools needed to keep on dismantling patriarchy! If you have any thoughts you’d like to share with me – go ahead and do it <3

About the author

Marika – vegan chef, animal advocate & educator. Professionally: creator of Plant Base & all its food creations, workshops & events, media & design. Privately: book worm, intersectional feminist, dog fanatic, Aquarius. Big on vegan food, even bigger on food for thought. Here to grow, open dialogues & share resources with those who also believe that veganism is only the beginning.