Released in 2016, the book is a very short adaptation of the TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie of the same name. She talks of her experience of sexism growing up in Nigeria and how it has affected her life. It discusses why we still need feminism and why each and every person should be a feminist.
My cousin, french-born, of Ivory Coast origin, black educated young woman handed the 50-page long book along with another stack of books about feminism and declared: ''this small book is a great introduction to feminism''. She was surprised that I have not read any of those after sharing my thoughts around gender, race and class. I tend to use the lens of convivialism as opposed to feminism in my philosophical exchange.
I remember discussing with a researcher an academic position I was seeking and the lecturer made it clear that they were looking for someone who is a feminist and she asked: you are a feminist, don't you? I was slightly taken aback by the question. Am I a feminist? and What does that mean?
In my search for answers, I read many articles, books, ended up watching amongst other documentaries: the Red Pill A Feminist Journey in the Male Right Movement? My feminist research journey pretty much stopped there afterwards. I was disenchanted by the exacerbated violence between men and women for power. I wanted to be enthused by the friendships, collaboration and care between men and women for a fairer world tinted by equality, love and justice.
Reading this short introduction over the Christmas period gave me some good renewed perks as my dream for a fairer world remains. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ask:
''I would like to ask that we begin to dream about and plan for a different world. A fairer world. A world of happier men and happier women who are truer to themselves. And this is how to start: we must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently . . .''
Are you dreaming too?
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