Peggy Orenstein (born November 22, 1961) is the author of the New York Times bestsellersBoys & Sex, Girls & Sex,Cinderella Ate My Daughter and Waiting for Daisy, as well as Don’t Call Me Princess, Flux, and the classic Schoolgirls. Her TED talk has been viewed over 5.5 million times.
In books and magazine articles Orenstein writes about the politics of everyday life, usually relating to gender. Her book Schoolgirls discussed educational inequity. In Flux she explored the life choices of a generation of ethnically diverse, middle class women in their mid-20s to mid-40s. Waiting for Daisy was her memoir of infertility, cancer, and motherhood. In Cinderella Ate My Daughter, she exposed the “girlie girl” culture being marketed to young children. Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex described teenage sexual behavior, sexualized media, and hookup culture, calling for healthier, open dialogue between parents and children and expanded positive-based sex and relationship education in schools. She has also written about breast cancer and the limits of mammographic screening and early detection.[3]
Recognition
Orenstein has been named by the Columbia Journalism Review one of "40 women who changed the media business in the past 40 years".[4]
She has received two “Books for a Better Life” awards.[4]
Her magazine work has also been honored by the Commonwealth Club of California, the National Women’s Political Caucus of California, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.[4]