Germaine Greer made a big impact on the world of women in 1970 when her publication of The Female Eunuch. This book sparked massive controversy and made women begin to conciously think of their rights and demand liberation from the confines of their traditional position as a spokesperson for radical feminism and women's sexual liberation. Greer contributed to the creation of a climate in which people questioned the stereotypical view of a 'woman's place' and the value to society of having women live in in passive and subservience to men.
Greer said that her book The Female Eunuch was 'advocating delinquency amoung women'.
In her book she discussed the biological differences between men and women and those that resulted from social conditioning. She saw women as having no sense of their own sexuality and encouraged them to discover and experience life as sexual beings and moving on from their sexual repression and can gain self-fulfillment in all areas of their lives.
The Female Eunuch presented a view of women as victims of a male-dominated society. Also culturally, psychologically and socially subservient to men. In Greer's opinion, marriage was a form of slavery for women, she believed it showed subservience to men.
Greer's influence among women brought change to many people's lives. Some said that it turned their views on life around completely. Her book was instrumental to the maturing of woman and helped many to feel less dependent on their husbands and more aware of themselves. This turned out to be a very eventful time in Australia history and aided heavily towards women getting men's jobs and doing things that they had never done before and were considered 'men's jobs'.
Over the years Greer has continued to self-identify as an anarchist or Marxist. In her books she has dealt very little with political labels of this type, but has reaffirmed her position in interviews. She stated on ABC Television in 2008 that "I ought to confess I suppose that I'm a Marxist. I think that reality comes first and ideology comes second," and elaborated later in the program to a question on whether feminism was the only successful revolution of the 20th century.
Also in 2008, she described herself as "an old anarchist" and reaffirmed that opposition to "hierarchy and capitalism" were at the centre of her politics.
In January 2012, Greer appeared on the BBC television programme Question Time and affirmed her membership of the British Liberal Democrat party.
