If someone asks me if I consider myself a feminist I will admit that I do with no shame or hesitation. But if you had asked me a few years back it might not have been the case. I would have given you a vague answer about how I believe in equality but wouldn’t exactly call it feminism. Why? Because I feared being judged and disgraced the way I had seen my friends and acquaintances get when they called themselves feminists.
But I got older and smarter and I read a few books on feminism. One being ‘We Should All Be Feminist’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is easily accessible and it helped me to understand the “concept” of feminism. Here are five reasons why you should read it too!
- You should read ‘We Should All be Feminists’ because it addresses some very important issues of inequality and gender which don’t only affect women but also men. Feminism is for everyone regardless of gender. And both men and women benefit from it.
- ‘One of the main things that Adichie addresses is prejudice against feminists. Feminists aren’t men hating women who don’t shave and hate lipgloss and high heels. There isn’t one way to be a feminist there are many. And it was such a relief to read that. You can be a girly girl and still be a feminist. You don’t even have to be a woman to be a feminist. You can be you!
- This book is so short, there is basically no excuses 😉 It is less than fifty pages and it will take the average reader about an hour to finish. One hour and you can add a book to your Goodreads challenge! What is not to like? How is that Goodreads challenge going by the way? [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”manqsccs2v” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]
- ‘We should all be feminists’ is a great introduction to feminism in general. Feminism can sometimes get too much, too messy and overwhelming. There are so many interpretations that I think some people give up (understandably). But this book “simplify” it, makes it understandable. And in spite of the serious topic, Adichie adds a little humour to it. Rebeca Ansar even argues in Medium that this book is the book all feminists-in-progress should read.
- Come on, do you really need a fifth reason to read this book? Okay, if you still don’t feel like reading it you can watch Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk HERE which this essay is based on!
The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations.”
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.
My own definition is a feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.
Thank you for reading!
Best, Nicoline
Do you call yourself a feminist or do you see yourself as something else? Have you read this essay? What are your thoughts? Any other books on feminism or gender I should read?
I can’t believe that I haven’t picked up this book yet ! but I just checked Scribd and its available as an audio so I’ll definitely listen to it soon. ( and yes I could always use a boost for my goodreads challenge !)
Well, you have zero excuses now then! 😉 I really hope you enjoy it and find it informing and thought-provoking.
Aren’t we all? 😉