We Should All Be Feminists

his 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 effected her life. It discusses why we still need feminism and why each and every person should be a feminist. Personally, I love the eloquent way this essay is worded; it’s persuasive but doesn’t pressure you or force you into agreeing with her. It doesn’t have to because her story speaks for itself. What I think is really important is how she emphasises the way that feminism is about equality between both sexes, something which is at the core of feminism but is overlooked so often in today’s society. This book is tiny, insightful and would make a perfect present as it also looks gorgeous. I highly recommend this to teenagers and young adults who are just being introduced to the concept on feminism, but equally anyone with an interest in the subject would also love it. It’s a great short read and one I wish every person was made to read. By defining feminism and what it is to be a woman in the world, Adichie sends forth both comfort and a challenge. Once when I was young, my great-grandmother told me about our city before pavement, and how they were sure cars would never last because they were impractical. Had the world listened, instead of putting down pavement, we'd all still be walking or riding horses. Women today too often accept the dated definition of what it is to be female, and content themselves with walking the dirt roads when there is a better way. It requires changes. It isn't easy. It will never be easy. The day we think it is, we will have forgotten how much was given to have it. Share

I’m writing this review for school but I think everyone should read this. This book is about a essay/ Ted talk about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichue’s life as being a women. She talks about how parts in her life were unfair to her and women. Like how her teacher let the person with the highest grade to be hall monitor, and she got the highest but the teacher changed it to it has to be a boy. And when she gave a worker a tip but the worker said thanks to the boy standing next to her because he is a man and apparently in the workers mind, only men can have money. My favorite part of the book was basically the whole thing. This is the only non-fiction book I willing read and it is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is such a convincing essay on feminism and I love how the author doesn’t blame this issue on men and has sympathy for men too. She said that if we, both genders, can change our perspective on this then our future kids can be happier that they can be freer and don’t have to listen to gender expectations. I don’t have a least favorite part. This whole book was written beautifully written. My question for the author is when did u start feeling like women are treated unfairly and are you going to keep writing and speaking out about it? You should definitely read this book. I feel like feminism isn’t a huge topic that we all talk about, so I think everyone should be required to read this book. It is a short book so it’s not going to take forever to read and it has so much information. Feminism should be a more important topic that we should all learn about and reading this book and getting informed on it is how we can all start.

The text of an excellent lecture given by the author to an audience considering gender, especially from a modern Nigerian-American perspective.

This book makes feminism sound like a good thing, which it is. Here are some of my favorite quotes and descriptions from Ms. Ngozi Adichie. "Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes." "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." "Some men feel threatened by the idea of feminism. This comes, I think, from the insecurity triggered by how boys are brought up, how their sense of self-worth is diminished if they are not “naturally” in charge as men." Some females are also to be blamed for this. They believe they want a man to be dominate or lead the way. But it can be chalked up to their upbringing I guess, now that I think about it. "Gender is not an easy conversation to have. It makes people uncomfortable, sometimes even irritable. Both men and women are resistant to talk about gender, or are quick to dismiss the problems of gender. Because thinking of changing the status quo is always uncomfortable." I learned a lot about systems of oppression and how they can be blind to one another by talking to black men. I was once talking about gender and a man said to me, “Why does it have to be you as a woman? Why not you as a human being?” I use to ask myself why feminist only focused solely on equality of females/genders but this passage by Ngozi made perfect sense. If you don't focus on one issue, you'll lose your identity, or the sole reason you've fought. Yes, female rights are human rights but it's a right that has been getting oppressed for ages. And it's now time to highlight aspects of it that bring light to issues many face all over the world. "This type of question is a way of silencing a person’s specific experiences. Of course I am a human being, but there are particular things that happen to me in the world because I am a woman." I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femininity. And I want to be respected in all my femaleness. Because I deserve to be. I like politics and history and am happiest when having a good argument about ideas. I am girly. I am happily girly. I like high heels and trying on lipsticks. It’s nice to be complimented by both men and women (although I have to be honest and say that I prefer the compliments of stylish women), but I often wear clothes that men don’t like or don’t “understand.” I wear them because I like them and because I feel good in them. The “male gaze,” as a shaper of my life’s choices, is largely incidental. Thank you madam for your time and well thought out speech which has been translated into a short story. Very nice!

This is short book that covers the exact same material as the TED Talk by the same author. It is an opinionated, yet eye opening, perspective of the problems of gender socialization, particularly for women, within the context of the Nigerian culture. Although people of all countries will most likely feel identified, to more or less degree, with many of the gender inequality problems and stories told in the book. Those unfamiliar with more sophisticated material on the subject, may find this to be an interesting and empirical introduction to some of the most common complaints of gender inequality. This is a powerful and motivating speech, more than a philosophical treatise on feminism. It is a practical and empirical perspective on the problem. Many men and women might immediately feel identified with the struggles vividly and colorfully described by the author. The most important redeeming quality of this short book is that it makes you think. Hopefully it will also provoke change, by helping us see the nature of these gender problems more clearly, by making us question the status quo, and by broadening our perspective of what it means to inherit a better legacy and a fairer society than the one we received from our parents.

I first came across the name of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in 2012 during a global leadership conference of a charity I was working for. We watched at her Ted Talk "The danger of a single story" (21.6M views at the time of thus review) to inspire participants. Then in 2017, while working for a different charity, we used her Ted Talk "We should all be feminists" to again inspire ourselves as we start a discussion on what we referred to as TLWR (Transformative Leadership for Women Rights). I decided to buy the book as a reference book on feminist. Chimamanda explains very well the concept of feminist with simple and jargon free words backed up with stories she and other women lived. If you're struggling to grasp the concept of feminist, invest an hour or less to read this book or just half an hour to watch her Ted Talk on the same topic. Read the book until the end to know Chimamanda's own def6of a feminist: "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." And don't stop there, go out and fight for equal rights and opportunities for women and men, for girls and boys. Because gender equality is good for men and women, is good for companies, is good for nations and is good for the world.

I ordered this book used through Amazon's third party vendor and it was in PERFECT condition. Pages were crisp and text was on the larger side, but easy to read for someone like me whose Dyspraxic. Although!! I had to say, I was certainly surprised when I opened the package to see an even smaller book! Overall, I'd say it was about the size of an A6 journal (pocketbook) and only 50pgs. BUT! Then I had learned this was actually a styled transcript of one of Chimamanda's TEDTalks from a few years back, and it is a WONDERFUL read! Cannot emphasize this enough. When it comes to this read, she brings you into a new pair of shoes, located in Nigeria and challenges you to think of the definition of 'feminist' and what that word inspires- or the opposite distain thereof- to those around it. What intrigued me the most was how, even from across the world, I had seen so many similarities between our cultures and the constricting sexual expectations that they create. Chimamanda takes you through the pivotal moments of her life, directly relating to her sex and the surprising lack of understanding from her peers- Men and women alike. We are then left to theorize how to make our futures better, and the steps we can do to possibly improve. Chimamnda is a feminist, and this book will explain what and why that means. I hope you enjoyed this light read as much as I did!!

OK, perhaps I should have read more about this item before I ordered it, but it is a very tiny, very short little book. It is basically just a slightly revised transcript of a TED Talk that Adichie delivered a few years ago. While it makes very valid points and may be a great primer for the person just beginning to dabble in feminist and gender theory, it is pretty elemental for anyone who has already been in the field. Having read many feminist authors and attended a women's college, there was really nothing new being covered here. I hoped to find more additional insight given Adichie's other novels, but this was very anecdotal and made a very basic case for why feminism is for all of us. A good talk, some great ideas, but nothing earth-shattering and you'll probably finish it in one sitting.

A really great short story that sheds light on feminism in such a fresh and rational way. Both men and women can be feminists and we need to acknowledge that the issues with gender roles persist.

The author speeds directly about an issue, the solution of which is very simple - we should all be feminists 😌

O livro é curto pois afinal de contas ele é a adaptação de uma palestra Ted ministrado pela autora e as palestras Ted são conhecidas por serem curtas, mas ao mesmo tempo esclarecedoras. E neste objetivo esse livro não falha. Ele é importante pois podemos entender as bases do feminismo e o porquê ele é importante na construção de a sociedade mais justa. Recomendo a leitura. Quanto ao nível de inglês, acredito que quem está no nível A2/B1 não vá ter muitos problemas.

Normalde bu tarz kitaplar okumazdım ama özel birisine hediye etmek için aldım ve okuyup vermek istedim. Oldukça anlamlı hikayelerle desteklenerek kadınların yaşadığı sıkıntıları açık bi şekilde okuyucuya aktarmayı başarmış. Feminizmi daha iyi anlamak adına kesinlikle okunması gereken bir kitap.

We Should All Be Feminists is a modified version of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s talk at TEDxEuston from December 2012. It’s an informative discussion of and wholly convincing argument for feminism that starts with anecdotes about Adichie’s life and builds to a rallying cry for global change. She lists examples from her life in Lagos illustrating Nigerian patriarchal society. When going to a restaurant with her male friend Louis, she’s ignored by the waiter who instead addresses the man because he’s the man; she’s stopped in the lobby of a hotel and asked to prove that she’s a guest because the staff suspect she might be a sex worker; when at school, she wanted to be the class monitor but the teacher gave it to a boy who didn’t really care but got it anyway because he’s the boy. She also mentions the Lilly Ledbetter case where an American woman proved she was paid far less than her male counterparts purely because she was a woman (this led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009). So why is it women are treated as inferiors? The problem is historical as women have always been denigrated but this is the 21st century and still this divide persists. In most countries, girls are raised to want to be liked, told to be understanding rather than angry, virginal, and discouraged from being too successful – the opposite of boys. And it’s that word “raised” that is central to Adichie’s argument. People raise their kids without questioning the culture around them. But if the state of things is, as it actually is, that women are treated unequally to men, then shouldn’t we change the culture? Culture does define people but people can similarly change culture. That’s why our society is vastly different today from 100 years ago and that society was different from the one 100 years before that and so on. The word feminist is a loaded term and conjures up stereotypes which Adichie gave in to at one point, choosing to wear an ugly business suit on her first day teaching a creative writing class instead of her preferred choice of a dress. But it’s more than a feminist proving that she can be feminine at the same time and unlearning gender lessons so much as it is this wider view of gender stereotypes. Men shouldn’t have to pay for the woman on a date just like women shouldn’t feel pressurised to get married by a certain age and then, once married, cook and clean for the man. The man needn’t be the breadwinner nor feel inferior if the woman is making more money than him. The most important point: feminism is NOT for women exclusively. Cultures change when the majority wants it to. It shouldn’t just be up to women to make men treat them equally, it should be as much the responsibility of the man to challenge gender stereotypes and inequality whenever it appears. Adichie’s essay makes an important and eloquent argument in favour of positive societal change. Here’s the definition of that word - “Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes”. Who in their right mind today would oppose something so reasonable and benign? And yet gender inequality still exists making it all the more necessary for essays like Adichie’s to keep highlighting this problem until true equality is achieved. We SHOULD all be feminists. Hear, hear!