25. Dear Ijeawele | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
Friends,
This is a teeny, weeny INCREDIBLE book that you’ll devour in just a few hours. I’m a huge fan of Chimamanda’s books - she writes beautifully about her experience as an African woman navigating this world and whilst I’m not Black, I am definitely African and I appreciate her writings.
This book is her response to a letter written from a dear childhood friend, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist.
It’s broken down into fifteen invaluable suggestions - direct, funny and perceptive - for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman.
My favourite of the fifteen is the third suggestion.
“Teach her that the idea of ‘gender roles’ is absolute nonsense. Do not ever tell her that she should or should not do something because she is a girl.
‘Because you are a girl’ is never a reason for anything. Ever.”
