Saturday, September 9, 2017

“We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This book (or extended essay really, it’s very short) is based on a TEDx Talk that the author gave (find here), and the two are pretty similar. I had no idea that this started as a TED Talk, give it a watch if you can’t find a copy of the book anywhere. One thing to note is that this talk was at a conference about specifically African topics, and she uses that context many times.

This is a very powerful work, Adichie discusses many aspects of feminism including its stigma and effects on both men and women. All of her points are illustrated with anecdotes from her life, giving it a personal feel. She also goes over possible objections to feminism, and why they are not relevant or accurate.


At its core this is a call to action, for both men and women. Ultimately, men are hurt by masochism as well, and unless more men start thinking about gender and how it affects those hurt by it, we probably won’t get anywhere. (I hate to say it, but that’s probably the truth. We need men to be more on board with feminism and realize when inequality is present instead of just dismissing it.) This work is so short I finished it in one sitting, therefore everyone out there has the time for it as well. Read it!

No comments:

Post a Comment