The Yes Woman

In a world that teaches girls to become Yes Women, learning to say ‘no’ is a radical feat.

For most of her life, Australian journalist Grace Jennings-Edquist had been keen to please. From school to career, in her appearance, friendships, and even everyday interactions, she was always anxious not to disappoint. Becoming a mother finally tipped her over the edge, and she wound up in a mental health unit. Her attempts to be everything to everyone – and to do it all perfectly – had taken their toll.

Grace could no longer avoid the truth: she was chronically addicted to saying yes. And she was not alone.

Grace discovered that, in a phenomenon that crosses class, culture and sexuality, Yes Women are everywhere, and there’s a bit of Yes Woman in just about everyone. Interviewing scores of people in Australia and overseas, both ordinary women and experts, Grace gained a deeper understanding of the patriarchal origins of the Yes Woman, and developed a plan to seize control of her own life.

The Yes Woman is a practical guide to recognising your own Yes Woman tendencies, measuring their cost on your health, and resisting that need to please. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.

About the Author

Grace Jennings-Edquist is a journalist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where she writes articles on issues including gender equality and wellbeing for ABC Everyday. As a former senior editor at Mamamia Women’s Network, Grace has written extensively about women’s mental health for an audience of millennial Australian women. Grace’s writing has appeared widely online, including in The Guardian, Crikey, The Australian, news.com.au, New Statesman and Ms. Magazine. She has appeared on radio and television, including on ABC’s The Agony Of … and is the recipient of a 2018 Michael Gordon Fellowship from the Melbourne Press Club.

A former lawyer with a love of travel, Grace has lived in London, The Hague, Sydney and New York, where she worked for the Financial Times group. She currently lives in Melbourne with her husband, young daughter and a vegetable garden she occasionally finds time to water. Follow her musings on Twitter: @gracie_je.