Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. How wise and amazing is not she?

In this "manifesto" Adichie gives suggestions to her dear friend Ijeawele, who is pregnant with a baby girl, on how to raise her daughter. With heart and feeling she delivers her suggestions in a very sparse, yet deeply profound way, and it is just so inspiring.

This is a book I want to give to everyone I know and I'm am certain that it will become my own personal bible whenever I decide to get children. But even as a single young woman today, far away from motherhood, this book could still influence me and make me think. It was a joy.

I first read this book on my kindle. That was a mistake. This is a book that you need to physically hold and touch and scribble in, and almost every well written phrase needs to be highlighted. It is a book I will read again and again and I will selfishly indulge myself with spending a few moments in the bright light of Adichie whenever I need to remind myself to not be afraid of the word feminist.

“So instead of teaching Chizalum to be likeable, teach her to be honest. And kind. And brave. Encourage her to speak her mind, to say what she really thinks, to speak truthfully. And then praise her when she does. Praise her especially when she takes a stand that is difficult or unpopular because it happens to be her honest position. Tell her that kindness matters. Praise her when she is kind to other people. But teach her that her kindness must never be taken for granted. Tell her that she, too, deserves the kindness of others. Teach her to stand up for what is hers. If another child takes her toy without her permission, ask her to take it back, because her consent is important. Tell her that if anything ever makes her uncomfortable, to speak up, to say it, to shout.” 

Title: Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminst Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pages: 80
Series: Stand alone
Source: ARC + Purchased
Published: March 7th 2017

Plot
From the best-selling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists comes a powerful new statement about feminism today--written as a letter to a friend. 

A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is Adichie's letter of response.

Here are fifteen invaluable suggestions--compelling, direct, wryly funny, and perceptive--for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman. From encouraging her to choose a helicopter, and not only a doll, as a toy if she so desires; having open conversations with her about clothes, makeup, and sexuality; debunking the myth that women are somehow biologically arranged to be in the kitchen making dinner, and that men can "allow" women to have full careers, Dear Ijeawele goes right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first century. It will start a new and urgently needed conversation about what it really means to be a woman today.