1. What points does Adichie make about the meaning of the term ‘feminism’?
During the course of her speech, Adichie explores how her childhood experiences have affected the way in which she interpreted this term, as many of the experiences she recalls from the early stages of her life had this term used in a rather negative, almost derogatory connotation. However, something that she repeatedly emphasises is that the primary goal of feminism is to achieve true equality between both men and women and that this goal should not be an aspiration solely for women, but both genders. This sentiment is built upon further with her definition of the term, which claims that a feminist is basically “a man or a woman who notices that there is a problem with gender today and realises that they must take certain steps in order to fix it”. After all, she does proclaim her brother Kenny to be the ‘best feminist’ she knows.
2. Does her definition of a feminist differ from yours? What are your views on the term?
Many of the aspects of feminism which Adichie talks about are points which I agree with, the most obvious which being that both men and women should be treated equally and receive the same opportunities. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that many contemporary feminists have begun to stray from the original idea of what it means to be a feminist, rather pursuing more radical ‘anti-men’ goals. I strongly disagree with this variation of feminism as I believe it slanders the term’s integrity and perpetuates a cycle in which it retains a negative connotation.
3. What do you think Adichie means by “culture does not make people, people make culture”?
I think what Adichie is trying to achieve with the statement “culture does not make people, people make culture” is that the majority of what we consider to be culture is a product, rather than a cause of our collective experiences, values and ideologies. She elaborates on this point by talking about culture is constantly changing, similar to the way in which we adapt to the ever-evolving times of modern society. She declares that she is no longer apologetic for her feminity and urges women around the world to do the same, to ‘finally allow them to truly be themselves’, perhaps in an effort to take the first step towards building a more idealistic and equal society.