Chimamanda is an author who has never shied away from voicing her opinions regarding feminism and racism. As an African woman who struggled to find her place in society, Chimamanda began speaking up supporting women’s empowerment.
Feminism
Chimamanda is a feminist and the author of ‘Purple Hibiscus,’ ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ and ‘Americanah.’ However, Chimamanda has also made her stance known regarding gender equality. Through her novels, she voiced gender equality and women empowerment. From Olanna to Kainene, Chimamanda has made female characters in her books stand out as symbols of strength, resilience, and intelligence.
In her talk titled ‘We Should All Be Feminists,’ Chimamanda shared her experiences as an African feminist. Citing the injustice resulting from gender equality, Chimamanda stressed displeasure for how society shoved women to the sideline. In her statement, she said:
I am angry. Gender, as it functions today, is a grave injustice. We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change, but in addition to being angry, I’m also hopeful because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better.
In 2013, Chimamanda’s TEDx speech on feminism got sampled in the song Flawless by Beyoncé. Her speech in the song read:
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, love, and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage, and we don’t teach boys the same? We raise girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or for accomplishments which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings the way boys are.
Racism
Another thing Chimamanda voiced out her views on was racism. Her 2013 novel ‘Americanah’ explored in great detail what it meant to be an African woman in the US. Chimamanda has countlessly taken the stand to point out racism in the modern world. In her opinion, there is a subtle form of racism about Africa, the idea that the continent is an underdeveloped and disease-filled place.
FAQs
How does Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie define feminism?
Chimamanda defines feminism as a movement that fights for the economic, social, and political equality of women.
Why did Adichie call herself a happy feminist?
Chimamanda called herself a happy feminist because someone once told her feminists were women who were unhappy because they could not find a husband. However, Chimamanda got married and called herself a happy feminist.
Is Chimamanda Adichie a feminist?
Yes, Chimamanda is a feminist.
Is ‘Purple Hibiscus’ a feminist novel?
Yes, ‘Purple Hibiscus’ is a feminist work that challenges the gender stereotypes associated with African women.
