Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote “Dear Ijeawele, Or A Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestions” in response to her friend, a new mother with an infant daughter, who requested advice on how to raise her baby to be a feminist. Adichie gives her friend ideas for busting through what she calls the “straightjacket of gender roles” through equal parenting, open conversation and conscious influence.
“Do not measure her on a scale of what a girl should be. Measure her on a scale of being the best version of herself,” Adichie writes. “Don’t just label something misogynistic; tell her why it is and tell her what would make it not be.”
Published in March of this year, this straightforward manifesto captures Adichie’s wide-angled perspective influenced by dividing her time between the U.S. and Nigeria. Her simple, specific instructions are addressed to new parents but are also relevant to anyone who seeks to be more assertive and improve their relationships with people.
Easy to read with accessible language. Pages: 63. Word count: around 11,900.
