Wednesday 2 November 2016

ALN - We Should All Be Feminists

Let's start this themed month of reading (well, for me, anyway) as I try to go on and read something that will make me think. And this essay from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's speech about feminism is a perfect place for me and this month to start.

There is very little to say on this essay's description, expect this is an essay based on a talk Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave in 2012 for the TEDxEuston. She talks about feminism but touches on other things: how society shapes both genders from sure a young age, all with a hint of humour.

Now, I know some of you will have read and watched this (I will put the video down below as I think we should all watch it) and go "This isn't anything new. This has been discussed a hundred times over by different people" and I agree with you. But I think this makes the scary subject of feminism easier for some people to understand, because it tackles the idea of feminism and how the world sees feminism and inequality.

I think I have talked about my feelings of feminism on here and on Twitter but reading and watching this pointed things out that I missed. It made me more aware of the world around me. That this is so deeply engrained into us, it will take years/decades/centuries to unlearn.

There was a section in the essay (In the video below, the section starts around 17 minutes and 30 seconds in) where a paragraph stuck me. It made me stopped reading, made me put down and kindle and think. Because I realised that this does happen. This happens. Let me quote it (sorry if I get it wrong. Using video and my Twitter as, at time of writing, Kindle is on charge):

We teach girls shame. Close your legs. Cover yourselves. We make them feel as though by being born female, they are already guilty of something. And so girls grow up to be women who cannot say that they have desire. Who silence themselves. Who cannot say what they truly think. Who have turned pretence into an art form. 

This is an important subject and we must keep talking about it. And I think this is a really good way to start or continue the conversation. (Sorry if this isn't much of a review but highly important essay. Go out and read it)

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