The Reason for Feminism as defined by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "We Should All Be Feminists”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "We Should All Be Feminists”, strives to explain feminism and why it’s a necessary characteristic for all of us. When you hear the word Feminist, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Some people imagine a group of angry women who wish for the death of all men. Others envision whiny women who blame all of their problems on men. So, what exactly is feminism, why are people so afraid of it, and what makes it a necessary component of a truly functioning society?
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Feminism is the belief that women and men should not be denied equal rights and opportunities based on gender. Generally, people believe that feminists must be or should only be women. However, this is not the case. According to Adichie, " A feminist is a man or woman (person) who says, yes, there's a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it, we must do better." However, not everyone is willing to admit there is a problem with gender in today's society. In her essay, Adiche talks about one of her experiences with gender bias. She describes an incident during which she was overlooked and judged because of her gender. While out with her friends one night, she decides to tip the man who found them a parking spot. When she hands the man her money, instead of thanking her, he turns to her male friend Louis and says thank you to him. Although Louis was very shocked, Adiche knew exactly why this had happened. The man assumed that any money that she had, must-have, undoubtedly come from Louis. This is a perfect example of gender bias because, whether it was consciously or unconsciously, the man held Louis in higher regard than Chimamanda. This form of gender bias or sexism appears in corporate environments. Adiche states, “A man and a woman are doing the same job with the same qualifications, and the man is paid more because he is a man". If feminism is the norm, this won't be an issue. Some men, however, fear feminism. They believe that feminism will put an end to male power and control while muting their voices. In other words, people fear what they can't understand. Because people can't understand feminists, they criticize and look down on them. However, feminism doesn't need to be intimidating it needs to be understood.
So, why should we all be feminists?
Because we need to. We need feminists to teach our children not to conform to the restraints put on them by society's definition of female and male. Adiche says, "We teach boys to be afraid of fear, of weakness, of vulnerability. We teach them to mask their true selves..." Girls need to know that is okay to go after what they want and, that they can be aggressive. We must teach our girls that they don't have to cater to the egos and needs of men. All of us, men and women, must work to create a culture of equality and acceptance for future generations.
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. We Should All Be Feminists. New York [New York],
Vintage Books, 2014
