We Should All Be Feminists is an essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that passionately advocates the importance of feminism and pushes for gender equality. This essay is adapted from her TEDx talk of the same name, delivered in 2012. In the text, Adichie passionately discusses the importance of feminism and advocates for gender equality.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977, in Enugu, Nigeria. She is a prominent contemporary writer, acclaimed for her insightful storytelling and exploration of social issues, particularly gender and race. Throughout the essay, she employs personal anecdotes, persuasive arguments, and rhetorical devices to emphasize the need for a global feminist movement that embraces diversity and empowers both men and women to challenge societal norms.
We Should All Be Feminists | Summary & Analysis
The text starts with Adichie’s fond memories of her childhood friend, Okoloma, who was the first person to call her a feminist when she was about fourteen, without fully understanding the term. Later, when she becomes a writer and releases her novel ‘Purple Hibiscus,’ she faces criticism and advice from people who view feminism negatively and perceive it as incompatible with African culture. Despite the various criticisms, she decides to embrace feminism and identifies herself as a ‘Happy African Feminist.’ However, she highlights the unfair burden of negative stereotypes that come with the label, such as hating men, rejecting traditional cultural values, and other superficial assumptions about appearance and lifestyle. The author uses humor to convey her journey of self-discovery and acceptance, ultimately challenging the prejudices surrounding feminism. The text encourages the idea that feminism should be embraced as a belief in gender equality and not limited by preconceived notions.
The subsequent section has a childhood story that revolves around Adichie’s experience in primary school. The teacher had announced that the student with the highest score on a test would become the class monitor, a position of authority and responsibility. Adichie herself, a girl, achieved the highest score, but to her surprise, the teacher later revealed that the monitor had to be a boy and a male student with the second-highest score was chosen instead. The incident left a lasting impact on the author, highlighting the gender bias and unequal opportunities that exist in society. She reflects on how repeated patterns of inequality can normalize certain behaviors and perceptions, leading people to accept them as ‘normal.’
The story serves as a powerful example of how early experiences of gender discrimination can shape individuals’ understanding of societal roles and expectations based on gender. It underlines the importance of challenging such biases and striving for equal opportunities and representation regardless of gender. She shares an incident involving her friend Louis, who is progressive but fails to recognize the challenges women face. During a visit to Lagos, Nigeria, they encounter a situation with a parking attendant where the man mistakenly thanks Louis instead of the author for the tip she gave him. The incident highlights a prevalent societal assumption that men are the primary providers or decision-makers in financial matters, even when this is not the case. The story illustrates how even well-meaning individuals may overlook or fail to perceive the subtle yet significant gender biases present in everyday interactions, further emphasizing the need for awareness and discussion to address such issues.
She moves on and discusses the biological differences between men and women, acknowledging that men and women have different hormones, sexual organs, and physical abilities. She argues that the traditional concept of men ruling the world made sense centuries ago when physical strength was vital for survival. However, in today’s vastly different world, intelligence, knowledge, creativity, and innovation are more crucial for leadership, and these attributes are not tied to gender.
Adichie mentions the late Kenyan Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai’s statement, ‘The higher you go, the fewer women there are,’ highlighting the lack of female representation in leadership roles. The passage also references the Lilly Ledbetter law in the US, which addresses gender pay disparities, where men and women doing the same job with the same qualifications are often paid differently merely based on their gender. Despite our societal evolution, the author suggests that gender norms and ideas of leadership based on physical strength and traditional gender roles have not evolved enough to reflect the current reality of gender equality and female leadership capabilities.
Adichie shares several personal experiences that highlight the gender disparities and biases that exist in society, particularly in Nigeria, and recounts instances of being treated differently based on her gender, facing assumptions and prejudices solely because she is a woman. She talks about the expectations and limitations placed on women, where they are often not allowed to express anger or assertiveness, while men are praised for similar behavior. The author also points out the lack of emphasis on teaching boys to care about being likable or to consider the impact of their behavior on others. The double standards and gender roles imposed on both men and women contribute to an unjust and unequal society. She highlights the prevailing narrative of advising women on how to please men, while there is a lack of guidance for men on how to respect and understand women’s experiences and perspectives.
Adichie advocates for a different world, a fairer world, where men and women can be truer to themselves without societal constraints. To achieve this, she urges for a change in the way we raise and educate both daughters and sons, fostering a more equitable and understanding society. She goes on to discuss the detrimental effects of gender roles and expectations on both boys and girls in Nigerian society. She points out how boys are raised to conform to a narrow definition of masculinity, stifling their emotions, vulnerability, and humanity, and also highlights the disservice done to girls, teaching them to cater to male egos, to shrink themselves, and suppress their ambitions to avoid threatening men.
Girls are raised to believe that marriage is the ultimate goal and that their success may intimidate potential partners. The language and concepts surrounding marriage and relationships reinforce notions of ownership and control, contributing to the unequal power dynamics between men and women. Girls are also policed more heavily in terms of their sexuality, while boys are not held to the same standards. The author emphasizes the importance of questioning and dismantling these gender norms, allowing individuals to be their authentic selves without the weight of societal expectations.
While boys and girls have biological differences, Adichie points out that socialization exaggerates these differences, leading to self-fulfilling prophecies. Adichie uses cooking as an example to illustrate how societal expectations shape gender roles. She reflects on their grandmother’s experiences and how she could have achieved more if she had the same opportunities as men during her time. While changes in policies and laws have provided more opportunities for women, Adichie emphasizes the importance of changing attitudes and mindsets to promote gender equality fully.
She presents two examples that highlight the unequal distribution of household responsibilities based on gender. The first example involves a family with a son and a daughter, both brilliant at school, where the girl is expected to cook for her brother when required. The second example involves a couple with equal education and the same job. However, after returning from work, the woman still does most of the housework, while the man occasionally changes the baby’s nappy. Both examples underscore the need to challenge traditional gender roles and expectations within households.
Adichie reflects on her journey of unlearning gender expectations and embracing her femininity. She recounts a past experience of feeling vulnerable and concerned about being taken seriously while teaching a writing class. The pressure to conform to societal norms led her to wear an unflattering suit, fearing that femininity might be perceived as a hindrance to being respected. She emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and no longer apologizing for her femininity. The passage delves into the uncomfortable conversations surrounding gender, with both men and women often resistant to discussing the issues. The author justifies using the term ‘feminism’ instead of a more general term like ‘human rights,’ as feminism specifically addresses the long-standing exclusion and oppression of women and also touches on how some men feel threatened by feminism, attributing it to insecurities related to societal expectations of male dominance.
She acknowledges that many men do not actively think about or notice gender disparities and are quick to dismiss gender-related issues, believing that everything is fine now. The author emphasizes the need for men to be more aware and proactive in challenging gender expectations and stereotypes. She refutes arguments that use evolutionary biology or cultural norms to justify gender inequalities. She shares personal experiences, including her interest in family traditions and culture, which are restricted due to her gender. She discusses the importance of feminism and her own self-identification as a feminist. She cites her great-grandmother’s feminist actions, demonstrating that feminism existed long before the term was coined. She calls for more people, both men and women, to embrace the term feminist, as it simply means believing in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. She concludes with a call for collective efforts from everyone to create a more equal and just society.
We Should All Be Feminists | Context & Background
Understanding the author’s viewpoint and the topics she discusses requires a discussion of the socio-historical background of the essay. The text is a passage by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a feminist author from Nigeria, who spoke in 2012 at the TEDxEuston conference. As a result, it captures the historical and social reality of Nigeria at the time as well as the larger global setting. Adichie talks about the difficulties she had as a female champion of gender equality. She considers her personal experiences of feeling exposed and trying to establish female value in environments where men predominate, such as academia. These difficulties are typical of those many feminists encounter both in Nigeria and around the world.
The global feminist movement’s focus is on promoting gender equality and dismantling the economic, political, and social systems that lead to worldwide gender-based oppression and discrimination. The movement aims to address the intersecting kinds of discrimination experienced by people based on their gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and other identifying markers, as well as the historical and systematic power inequalities between men and women.
In order to create a fairer society, Adichie’s lecture adds to the larger feminist conversation and underlines the importance of tackling gender disparities. The main goal of the feminist movement is to bring about gender equality, which means making sure that men and women have equal access to resources and decision-making processes as well as equal rights and opportunities. It questions established gender roles.
The global feminist movement is diverse, incorporating numerous methodologies and viewpoints. Although it continues to encounter obstacles and opposition from numerous sources, it has made tremendous progress in strengthening women’s rights. However, it has had a significant impact on influencing legislation, and empowering women, and underprivileged populations, which has helped to create a more equal and just society. The global feminist movement aspires to be inclusive and intersectional in its approach in recognition of the multiple forms of oppression that people experience. It recognizes that racism, classism, ableism, and other types of discrimination coexist with gender discrimination and that this causes various groups to experience inequality in different ways. Intersectionality emphasizes that a person’s privileges or experiences of discrimination are not only based on their gender.
Other facets of identity, such as color, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, disability, and others, interact and have an impact on one another, affecting how people experience their social environments. This implies that a black woman, as opposed to a white woman or a black guy, might face a different set of difficulties. The feminist movement is urged by the idea of intersectionality to take into account and address the particular needs and experiences of various groups of women. It highlights the value of inclusivity and the understanding that many oppressions are interrelated and cannot be isolated or dealt with separately. For instance, a feminist movement may unintentionally perpetuate exclusion and marginalization within its own ranks if it only concentrates on gender equality while ignoring issues connected to race or class.
Black feminism in Nigeria is a branch of the broader feminist movement that focuses on the particular difficulties and experiences that black women in the nation confront. The limits of mainstream feminism, which frequently focused on the experiences of white women and disregarded the intersectional oppression experienced by women of color, led to the emergence of this movement. The intersectionality of gender, race, and class is the central theme of black feminism in Nigeria, which acknowledges that black women face particular difficulties shaped by the linked forces of racism, sexism, and economic inequality. Black feminists in Nigeria push for a broader, more inclusive feminist movement that takes on repressive structures head-on while addressing the unique demands and problems of black women.
The speech takes place in the context of ongoing efforts to advance women’s rights and gender equality in Nigeria and around the world. Adichie refers to her great-grandmother’s feminist actions, highlighting that women have been advocating for their rights for generations.
We Should All Be Feminists | Literary Devices
Adichie frequently uses anecdotes in the text. Anecdotes are short, personal stories or accounts that serve as examples to support a speaker or writer’s argument. They are a common rhetorical device used in various forms of communication, such as speeches, essays, and articles. They facilitate engagement, persuasion, credibility, relativity, and contextualization. People are naturally drawn to stories, and anecdotes provide a human element that helps connect with the audience on a personal level. They make complex ideas more tangible and understandable by putting them in a real-life context.
The emotional impact of an anecdote can sway the audience’s opinions or beliefs as it adds authenticity to the message being conveyed. Some examples include a personal childhood anecdote about wanting to be the class monitor in primary school but being disqualified based on her gender, an anecdote about a parking attendant in Lagos who thanked her male friend instead of her when she gave a tip, her dilemma of what to wear when teaching her first writing class in graduate school an anecdote about her great-grandmother’s defiance against an arranged marriage and how she fought for her own choice and another one about her childhood friend Oklahoma who was the first one to call her a feminist. By using anecdotes, the author brings her arguments to life and helps the reader connect emotionally to the larger issues at hand.
Adichies also employs rhetorical questions which are a powerful literary device to engage the audience, provoke thought, and make a point. Rather than expecting a direct response, rhetorical questions are posed for effect, emphasizing a particular idea or creating a sense of anticipation. The questions may challenge preconceived notions, provoke critical thinking, or invite readers to consider alternative viewpoints. By posing a question that the audience already knows the answer to, the writer or speaker can emphasize the obviousness or significance of their argument. They can lead the audience to a particular conclusion or support the writer’s stance by guiding them to specific thoughts or realizations. They also create moments of tension and anticipation, making the audience eager to hear the following points or arguments.
Some instances from the text may be noted,
‘Why should a woman’s success be a threat to a man? What if we decide to simply dispose of that word- and I don’t know if there is an English word I dislike more than this – emasculation?’
‘What if, in raising children, we focus on ability instead of gender? What if we focus on interest instead of gender?’
‘What is the problem with gender as it is today? Why does it have to be you as a woman? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights or something like that?’
Throughout the text, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie effectively uses rhetorical questions to engage the reader, prompt reflection, challenge stereotypes and emphasize her points about gender and feminism.
