Announcing the 17th Annual WOMEN’S WAY Book Prize Honoree: Jessica Valenti
WOMEN’S WAY is thrilled to announce that Jessica Valenti, New York Times best-selling author, activist, and one of the nation’s most influential feminist voices, has been named the 17th Annual WOMEN’S WAY Book Prize honoree.
Valenti will be recognized for her groundbreaking new book, Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win, during a virtual fireside chat on October 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
In this conversation, Valenti will explore urgent themes from her book, including:
- The weaponization of language around reproductive rights
- The dangers of care denial
- The broader fight for bodily autonomy and gender equity
The program will include a live Q&A, giving participants the chance to engage with Valenti and leave with tools to strengthen their advocacy for reproductive freedom. Moderator to be announced soon – register here!
About Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use To Win
In her most urgent book yet, New York Times bestselling author Jessica Valenti shines a light on the conservative assault on women’s freedom, cutting through the misinformation and overwhelm to inform, engage, and enrage. From the attacks Americans know about to the ones anti-abortion lawmakers and groups are trying to hide, Valenti details the tactics and horrors that she’s been painstakingly tracking in her acclaimed newsletter, Abortion, Every Day. Abortion gives voice to women’s frustration and outrage in a moment when they’re fed up with being talked over and diminished. And in an election year when abortion is dominating the national conversation, Valenti provides the language, facts, and context readers need to feel confident when talking about the attacks on their bodies and freedom. Abortion is a handbook for the overwhelming majority of Americans who support abortion rights, whether they’re seasoned activists or those just starting to learn. With the wit, expertise, and blunt moral clarity that’s made her writing popular for decades, Valenti offers an essential manifesto in an urgent moment.
About Jessica Valenti
Jessica Valenti is a writer, activist, and one of the country’s most influential voices on gender and politics. The award-winning author of eight books—including the New York Times bestseller Abortion—she has shaped the national conversation on feminism for over two decades. Jessica’s groundbreaking anthology Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape helped define the modern definition of consent and paved the way for legislation of the same name. She is also widely credited with sparking feminism’s online wave as the founder of the trailblazing blog Feministing. A former columnist for The Guardian and The Nation, Jessica’s sharp, uncompromising analysis has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and on media outlets from CNN to The Daily Show. She speaks at colleges and organizations nationwide about feminism, abortion, and sexual violence. After the fall of Roe, Jessica founded Abortion, Every Day, an urgent synthesis of anything and everything happening with abortion rights in the United States. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
About the WOMEN’S WAY Book Prize
Since 2007, the WOMEN’S WAY Book Prize has celebrated authors who advance dialogue on issues impacting women, girls, and the gender-expansive community. The award honors the legacy of Ernesta Drinker Ballard, a WOMEN’S WAY founder, first Board President, and tireless champion for gender equity.
