Herlands

Lessons From Societies Where Women Make the Rules

Megha Mohan

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Harvill
05 April 2026

Prose: non-fiction; Social & cultural history; Feminism & feminist theory; Sociology & anthropology

A landmark exploration of women-led communities worldwide and what they can teach us about new ways to live, think and govern, from BBC global correspondent Megha Mohan.

Society isn't working for women - or any of us.

But what if the rules were different?

Imagine a world in which women have all the power. A world in which they work together to shape their rules, their societies and their futures.

In reality, all-women communities have always existed, and continue to thrive all over the world. In this vital and ground-breaking book, Megha Mohan goes in search of their roots, discovering a vibrant global history, brought together here for the first time. She also takes us into today's women-led spaces, where women live on their own terms, showing us how we can rethink society for new ways of living, working and collaborating, often with less of a profit-driven mindset and a deeper connection to ancestry and nature.

Through extensive research and exclusive first-hand reporting, and inspired by her great-grandmother's own matrilineal community in South India, Mohan introduces us to fascinating and diverse groups of women. From the controversial feminist online trolls of South Korea, to elder women co-housing in Paris and North London, and the Rain Queens of South Africa, this is a truly global look at women's community.

Essential reading for anyone interested in our collective histories, cultures, economics and governance, Herlands shows the power and possibility of new ways of living - and leading - for us all.

By: Megha Mohan
Imprint: Harvill
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 750g
ISBN: 9781787304772
ISBN 10: 1787304779
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 05 April 2026
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Megha Mohan is the BBC's first global gender and identity correspondent. She covers issues concerning women's rights, LGBT communities, race and ethnicity, for the BBC's 43 language services worldwide. She has reported on the black market for abortion pills in Honduras, femicide in Russia, and gender roles in North Korea's army - a story that ranked among Chartbeat's 100 most-read articles in the world. In 2023, she presented a special two-part documentary on the devasting effects of child marriage in Malawi for the BBC World Service with Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates. Mohan was named in Progress 1000's list of most influential storytellers, and she consulted on Level Up's media guidelines on how to sensitively report on domestic violence. She is also the co-founder of Second Source, a network of women journalists from under-represented backgrounds.

Reviews for Herlands: Lessons From Societies Where Women Make the Rules

Herlands is a powerful and necessary reminder that women’s leadership is not an exception; it is tradition, it is history, and it is the future. With the clarity and care of a journalist who listens deeply, Megha Mohan honours the systems women have sustained for generations -- Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Prime Minister of Samoa A lantern in the dark, revealing the quiet power of women-led communities across the globe. With lyrical precision and journalistic integrity, Megha Mohan gathers their stories like sacred threads, weaving a tapestry of resilience, leadership, and radical hope * Sulaima Ishaq, head of Sudan’s Combating Violence Against Women and Children Commission * An immersive and absorbing read from a journalist who takes trust, tone and ethics seriously -- Bhavana Menon, award-winning actress