I think the way that a lot of girls are raised in so many parts of the world is that idea that you have to be likeable. On the importance of teaching girls to reject likability Right, so if a child - and when she's 3, of course, she's not going to be reading the newspapers, but when she's a bit older - to say to her, 'Do you see? This is not OK and here's why: 'Allow' is the language of power, and you can't use that when you're talking about two people who are equal.' The premise, of course, is it's kind of like the headmaster has allowed the little girl to ascend.Īnd I just think it's important, very early on, to let children be aware of this. And I think it's the kind of language that's used so often that we just think it's normal, but it's so problematic. And an example from the book is a British newspaper writing about the British prime minister and saying that her husband had 'allowed' her to shine. I also think that that kind of feminism-lite, you know, often uses the language of power. Your purchase helps support NPR programming.

but I realized I didn't actually have a concrete map of the particular, specific things that I think will help if we do them differently.'Ĭlose overlay Buy Featured Book Title Dear Ijeawele Subtitle Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Because I have talked a lot about these things and I care very much about them and I get very passionate.

'Yes, I wrote it for my friend, but I think to a large extent it was also my way of mapping out my own thinking. It's called Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, and it talks about everything from how to choose toys to teaching self-reliance to challenging traditional gender roles.Īdichie says writing the letter was useful for her, too. Now, that letter has been published as a book. The author is pictured here at NPR in February 2017.Ī few years ago, Chimamanda Adichie received a message from a childhood friend asking for advice: She wanted to know how to raise her newborn daughter to be a feminist.įor Adichie - a best-selling author who has also made a name for herself as a leading feminist voice - the question was a bit daunting, but she wrote a long letter back to her friend. Chimamanda Adichie's novels include Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun.

Chimamanda dear ijeawele