Silenced Women: Why The Law Fails Women and How to Fight Back

NB. This book was originally published in hardback as How Many More Women?

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA’s ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction Award

WITH A BRAND-NEW AFTERWORD FOR 2024 COVERING RUSSELL BRAND, LUIS RUBIALES AND OTHER CASE STUDIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

‘A stunning book; as vital as it is compelling… a must-read for women and allies alike’ - Harriet Johnson, author of 'Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It'

‘Crucial reading for any person wanting to fight gendered abuse’ - Jess Phillips

‘If you read anything this year, make sure it’s this’ - Daisy May Cooper

'This important book demonstrates how man-made laws and legal procedures bear down harshly and unfairly on women who try to exercise their free speech rights to complain about domestic violence and abuse. At a time when reform of defective laws of defamation and confidentiality is being considered in many English-speaking countries, the injustices eloquently described by these authors deserve special attention. Theirs is a book that should be read - with shame - by judges and politicians and with appreciation by news editors, journalists, and all concerned to enhance freedom of speech.' - Geoffrey Robertson KC, barrister, former UN judge and author

'The nature of law is that it is made and secured by those who have power, which is why women are are still battering at its doors. This book is another brick through the windows of our legal systems: a brilliant, trenchant analysis of what is wrong with the law.' - Baroness Helena Kennedy KC

'The cases that come to court hold up a mirror that reflects what is going on in our societies. Two brilliant lawyers, experts in their field use these compelling cases to show us that despite all the campaigns and rhetoric this is still a world made by men for men. I hope this books encourages all who want a society where women have equal respect and equal power to accelerate our efforts to ensure that the next generation are not still writing brilliant but shaming books like this one.' - Lady Cherie Blair KC

In 2017, allegations against Harvey Weinstein prompted a worldwide sharing of sexual harassment and abuse stories on social media. Just as #MeToo began to empower survivors to speak out about their abuse, perpetrators and their lawyers got to work trying to silence them.

In Silenced Women, leading human rights barristers Jennifer Robinson and Dr Keina Yoshida expose the ways that the establishment has mobilised against change and sought to reinforce a system that keeps women voiceless. From the difference between the Amber Heard cases in the UK and the US, to the story of how Zelda Perkins became the first person to break her NDA against Weinstein, they draw on their own and others’ cases to explain how the law is being used to curtail women’s free speech – and what we can do to fight back.