Germaine Greer is an Australian-born writer, academic and journalist. She is most famous for speaking out on women’s issues. She is one of the boldest and clearest feminist voices of modern times. She became a household name overnight after the publication of her best-seller ‘The Female Eunuch’. This ground-breaking book won her millions of admirers and critics alike and is still a must read.
Greer was born in Melbourne in 1939. She graduated from university with a degree in English and French language and literature, and moved to Sydney. She lectured at Sydney University and did her Master’s. Her MA thesis won her a scholarship, which she used to do her Ph.D. at Cambridge University at an all-women’s college.
Greer started writing witty articles on gender issues for underground magazines. She married an Australian journalist in 1968, but the marriage lasted only three weeks due to her unfaithfulness. In 1970, ‘The Female Eunuch’ brought her instant fame. She toured the world to promote her book and investigate women’s situations in other countries. She was arrested in New Zealand for using ‘naughty words’ in a speech.
Greer has spent four decades writing and lecturing at universities. The constant theme in her work is that girls are feminized from childhood. She said this eventually leads women to feel powerless. She also continues to speak her mind. She criticized Australians as being "too relaxed to give a damn." In 2007, she called Princess Diana a "desperate woman seeking applause".