We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
We Should All Be
Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Why the word
feminists? Why not just say you are a
believer in human rights or something like that?” Because that would be
dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general- but to
choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be
a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been
excluded.
When I
first started reading this essay I was unsure if I would even write a review.
Then about a page in I realized that I had a lot to say on the topic of
feminism and that everything I could think to say was written in this essay. We Should All Be Feminists is a modified
version of a talk Adichie gave in December of 2012. It is amazing. It is
amazing because she has spoken on an issue that many people are passionate
about: equal rights for men and women. We have come a long way, and Adichie
acknowledges that, but we still have a very long way to go. Why? Because some
people still don’t believe there is a problem while it is staring other people
in the face! The issues that Adichie brings up are all valid. They are easy to
spot in society and yet some people refuse to see them. Or they speak down to
those that speak out about the issue. The title “feminist” has such a negative
connotation now and I am unsure why. I don’t understand why wanting a woman to be
treated as the equal to a man is negative. It’s not just about rights. It’s
about the way women are treated and regarded in society. Thank you Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie for being a voice in the world for women everywhere. Thank you
for acknowledging the struggle that many women still experience, that you
yourself experience and that I experience. This was well written, well
delivered and right to the point. Easily 5 stars.
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