We Should All Be Feminists

If anything about this sounds familiar, that might be because you may have already come across the TEDxEuston talk of the same name, presented by Adichie in December 2012 and widely circulated. Think of that as a highly successful test run, and consider investing the mere 45 minutes to listen to Adichie (again) in this extended version as she explains why she is a "Happy African Feminist Who Does Not Hate Men and Who Likes To Wear Lip Gloss and High Heels for Herself and Not for Men." Adichie's tone seems light, and she uses ironic humor brilliantly throughout—how a childhood friend first called her a feminist at age 14 in "the same tone with which a person would say, 'You're a supporter of terrorism.'" But she doesn't shy away from getting angry, dismantling stereotypes, exposing inequity, and demanding change. Adichie's own definition of a feminist is simply empowering: "a man or a woman who says, 'Yes, there's a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it, we must do better.'"