The book · Spinifex 2026
What is our book about?
Why are so many girls unhappy — or even in real distress? As older feminists, we were troubled by the decline in girls' freedom and joy. So we set out to find out what is really troubling them.
Just how much freedom does this generation of girls really have? The Rebel Girls book and this website are filled with critical stories about the taboos of our time — from the madness online and self-diagnosis on social media, to the confusion surrounding biology and the oppression of women in society and in Islam.
"Essential reading"
— Dr Helen Joyce, bestselling author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality
Back cover · English edition · Spinifex 2026
Behind the façade of perfect selfies, the mental health of teenage girls is crumbling.
They spend hours a day on social media, where rigid sex stereotypes and a culture of victimhood prevail. Many struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety and exposure to violent pornography. Non-conforming girls — lesbians in particular — and girls with autism or ADHD are being pushed to identify as boys.
But there is hope. This book tells the stories of young rebels who are challenging stereotypes and cultural misogyny to forge their own path. Fifty contributors from countries including the Netherlands, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China, Afghanistan and Australia raise questions rarely asked about what it means to be a girl today.
Experts such as psychiatrist Riittakerttu Kaltiala, whistleblower Jamie Reed and researcher Sarah Mittermaier share their concerns. Other contributors include Melinda Tankard Reist, Bev Jackson, Jennifer Bilek and Lisa Selin Davis.
The future for girls is crucial to the future of us all. This uplifting collection shows how the next generation is carrying on the feminist fight — exposing misogyny and finding autonomy, confidence, pleasure and independence in their lives.
Dutch original · Uitgeverij het Haantje · 2024
Gender Rebels — Kritische verhalen voor moedige meiden
The Dutch first edition of this book.
Girls spend an average of six hours a day on social media, where a mindset of victimhood, negativity and stereotypical role patterns holds sway. Beneath the layer of perfect selfies, their mental well-being has been eroded.
Forty girls and women contributed to this collection. Ten young go-getters speak about their plans and their problems, and allow themselves to be photographed. Notable women such as psychologist Liesbeth Woertman, biographer Jolande Withuis, political scientist Ayaan Hirsi Ali and psychiatrist Riittakerttu Kaltiala share their concerns about girls from their professional perspective.
Continue in the project
More from Rebel Girls
Sybilla Claus
Anthropologist, journalist and author. Author of Gender Rebels (2024) and the upcoming Rebel Girls (Spinifex, 2026).
Published by Uitgeverij 't Haantje · © Sybilla Claus