REVIEW: WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS BY CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

I do not have a rating system for nonfiction books yet. It’s neither my go-to genre nor something I had planned to read this year, but here is my unorganized review and the thoughts I formed while reading the book.

Adichie’s anthology of anecdotes discusses the discrimination, the oppression, the struggle that women have faced for generations. These issues that continue to echo through modern society.

BOOK DETAILS

TITLE

We Should All Be Feminists

AUTHOR

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

SERIES

N/A

GENRE

Nonfiction

SOURCE

NLB Singapore

DATE READ

05 Mar 2025

OVERALL RATING

For centuries, civilizations have evolved, yet gender injustice has persisted and even been normalized. Feminism stems from the desire to be treated equally as men: politically, socially and economically. Yet, many people still view it as a threat, equating it with misandry. This raises the question: Why does modern society continue to resist true equality? Would treating women with the same respect as men threaten masculinity? Or is it an act of subconsciously protecting its fragility?

Adichie proceeds to shove masculinity in the front-row seat. Why is male ego so fragile in the first place? Men are burdened with societal expectations to provide, to be stable and to exert dominance. If these traits are truly in their nature, the need to control and oppress women wouldn't be necessary. Yet, society continues to subject women to cater their fragile ego and reinforce patriarchal values. In an economy where all genders are expected to contribute to the household income, should we really be concerned if women are more successful than men?

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. If you are the breadwinner in your relationship with a man, pretend that you are not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him.

Excerpt From "We Should All Be Feminists"
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Marriage is another topic Adichie tackles. The pressure for women to marry by a certain age is a universal problem. Failing to do so is often seen as a personal failure, turning women into objects of ridicule and criticism. Why is a woman’s worth still measured by her marital status, rather than her accomplishments or happiness?

The resistance to implementing true equality is both barbaric and regressive—clinging to outdated hierarchies instead of progressing as a society.

OVERALL REVIEW

The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations.

Excerpt From "We Should All Be Feminists"
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Everyone should read this book. I have been to some of these situations and conversations myself. I'm sure a lot of women have. We Should All Be Feminists validates and reiterates the inequality women face on a regular basis. Several anecdotes hits close to home. Adichie delivers a brief yet powerful narrative that highlights deep-seated inequalities, particularly how internalized misogyny is ingrained among all genders.

That said, while this book offers a thought-provoking introduction to feminism, it is largely anecdotal. For those already familiar with feminist discourse, it may not provide entirely new insights. Rather than offering an in-depth analysis, it serves as a concise and engaging reflection on gender inequality.