12 books to help you fight the system

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (screencap of her TEDxEuston talk via YouTube)

11. We Should All Be Feminists

Though We Should All Be Feminists is only 64 pages, it is mighty. If you or someone you know needs an introduction to modern feminism that is powerful and accessible, look no further.

The book began its life as a 2012 TEDx talk delivered by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an award-winning novelist. It is both an exploration of 21st century feminism, but a deep investigation into “specific and particular problem of gender” that affects women worldwide. Adichie points out the insidious ways in which society teaches girls that they are somehow lesser than their male counterparts, saying “We teach girls shame. ‘Close your legs. Cover yourself.’ We make them feel as though being born female they’re already guilty of something.” She also critiques traditional concepts of masculinity, comparing it to a cage in which men are trapped and constrained from their boyhood.

Audio from Adichie’s TED talk is included in Beyonce’s 2013 song “Flawless”. That’s a damn good recommendation. Though Adichie acknowledged that the inclusion of her speech in the song reached many people, she noted the differences between their particular interpretations of feminism. From a 2016 interview: “Still, her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men…. We women should spend about 20 per cent of our time on men, because it’s fun, but otherwise we should also be talking about our own stuff.”