We should all be Feminists
Chimamda Ngozi Adichie
2014
Fourth Estate
This short essay is based on a TED Talk by the author. The title is radical and the writing is witty. Adichie writes and speaks powerfully. She is honest about identifying gendered ideas that she grew up with and imbibed. Her experiences will resonate with people who have grown up with any gendered socialisation experiences. As I picked up the book, I was wondering why was there a need for a prescriptive title. Do we need to be told what to be? Wasn’t patriarchy doing that already that feminists who are challenging the same patriarchal practices follow the same lead? I feel that this may be deliberate to come across as forceful something which may be required if you want to bring about a change.
I believe in changing the world through a social process of transformation. (Maybe one classroom at a time!) And so I urge teachers to share this book/ talk with their students, parents with their children and children with their parents. Share it with your friends. Read or listen to it and start a discussion. You may not agree with feminism or Adichie’s idea of feminism but at least agree to discuss.