Skip to main content

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Review

''A great short read and I thank already the person who made me read it''
 
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?








Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Footpaths Leicester

Footpaths Leicester is a way for people to meet and support each other to reduce their personal carbon footprints. It offers a structured, supportive and fun environment in which people can work out what they want to change in your life to reduce your carbon footprint - and a community of like minded people to do it with.  They provide a structure course of eight meetings with two facilitators and people to do it with. Beyond the course, Footpaths provide support to support people to continue on improving their personal carbon footprint, through one off events, workshops and get together. How did I get involved with Footpaths Leicester? I wanted to find out how grassroots organisation support people through change to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable system of consumption and production. It was after joining Transition Leicester and starting a Positive Money project to improve literacy about the money system that I eventually met with Zina Zelter, founder of Footpaths...
Post a Comment
Read more

Home Energy, Footpaths Challenge - Monitoring Energy Consumption

According to the Energy Saving Trust you could find that your energy usage drops by between  five and 15%  in the first year of using an energy monitor, which could be a saving of £25 to £75 on a £500 bill. I am following the homework of the Footpaths book as promised in previous post ( here ).  I set myself to read my meters every week to monitor my energy consumption. It is tedious.  I tried twice to make it an habit. I fell miserably. Reading is not really the issue but accessing the meter might be the issue. I better put my shoes elsewhere and learn to squat.  I recognise that for changing you have to recognise first your pattern of behaviour.  The truth of the matter is that I do not know exactly how bad we behave in our household. Badly, most probably.  Example - I spent most of the day in my warm gown with a hat on. The heaters  were off. Then family came back home in the evening. I went to the kitchen to cook. I came out of the kitchen, go...
Post a Comment
Read more

Born to prepare for death already

There is nothing like a funeral to put things into perspective. The coffin is lying there reminding us that whilst life throw at us the good and the bad, in a moment it is all gone. We have only the memories of the dead to linger on. Only one thing can be said If you are alive today, give us through your actions the necessary wisdom to grow kind and patient to make our short journey on earth memorable
Post a Comment
Read more