We should all be feminists: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at TEDxEuston
Louise:
We should all be feminists: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at TEDxEuston
Here is an excerpt from the video that can also be heard in Beyonce's song "Flawless"
"We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, 'You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise you will threaten the man'... Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important... Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support. But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same?" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Thoughts anyone?
What does it really mean to be a feminist outside of Western ideology and outside of academia?
Nakandi:
Louise, can you give your definition of feminism?
Louise:
Sorry for the late response KiwNak.
When I was a teenager, I can recall my female relatives referring me as a feminist and I never really grasped what they meant. All I knew was that I did not want to be dominated by any male or to live in the shadow of any male. I wanted to be treated as an equal. I did not want to be dependent on any male financially, emotionally, or mentally. Nor did I want to be another submissive female in this society. I wanted to set my own parameters and defy them by my own terms. Even if I were to find a male companion, he had to respect my freedom and see me as his equal.
Having said this, I believe a feminist is one who fights for her rights and/or for the rights of other women. I have always believed that feminism predated Western ideology. It can be traced as far back to ancient Eygpt. It can be also be found in slavery when enslaved women rebelled against the system. Some Indian women who came to the West Indies via the Indian indenturship schemes were feminist in their own right. Feminism can also be seen in the early 1930's when women in the Caribbean rose up alongside men in trade unions to fight for the rights of the working class, although their (women) contributions have been somewhat neglected. I see feminism in women of matricfocal families and single parent homes. I dont believe females have to be fromally educated to make that change, but they can make that change based on their history.
Nakandi:
Quote from: Louise on February 25, 2014, 09:33:33 AM
All I knew was that I did not want to be dominated by any male or to live in the shadow of any male. I wanted to be treated as an equal. I did not want to be dependent on any male financially, emotionally, or mentally. Nor did I want to be another submissive female in this society. I wanted to set my own parameters and defy them by my own terms. Even if I were to find a male companion, he had to respect my freedom and see me as his equal.
Striving for equality within an already unjust system isn't much progress. Males also have to perform under patriarchy, so they cannot be used as yardsticks. Aiming to be their equal is not necessarily aiming for right or best.
Re:feminism outside the West. I think we need to appreciate the dynamics of individual cultures before calling actions feminist or not. There is a universalism in feminism that does not exist in reality. One needs to be wary of the gaze with which one is viewing non-Western ways of life.
Nakandi:
Chimamanda continues the discussion on feminism, and more (video).
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-live/52f2b5ff78c90a72e8000170
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