"We Should All be feminists" -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TedTalk

     Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful and incredibly insightful speaker on the topic of gender and the theory of feminism. She first talks about how the word Feminist was thrown at her as an insult, her very first interaction with the term. I believe many feminists today, myself included, can attest to similar stories. Being branded with the title of a "man-hater" or  an "undesirable anti-man cat-loving feminist." I can admit, the older I get, the more I must admit I am tempted to be such things. However, the demonization of the term is very telling as to why it is necessary. 

I doubt many would argue that women's worth is most commonly associated with two major characteristics: what they look like and what they provide. A woman is only valuable to society if she is deemed attractive or she serves a purpose, specifically to her husband or children. By this logic, it makes complete sense that society sees feminism as a nuisance. It directly conflicts and calls out all of these pillars that have upheld our society for thousands of years. Without women forced to step into these roles of servitude, who will do it? It is a form of forcing men in particular to confront the privilege they have been born with, the privilege to come home from work to a hot home-cooked meal and never question where their dirty laundry scattering the floor, mysterious disappearances to. 

Adichie commented that perhaps men ruling was the natural order, back when strength was the supreme. I would agree, in fact, I may even go further as to say the idea of the roles of gender is more disturbed than ever. While I do not subscribe to the notion that women are "meant" to be in the kitchen or remain in the household, even at times when this was the principle, it holds more logical weight. We can argue about whether it was equal and fair to have men work entirely out of the home and women work entirely inside the home, but we have entered a time in which both are expected, at least for women. 

Adichie herself noted a family she knew where the woman and man both worked the exact same job and yet the man came home to a clean home, children cared for, and food cooking and was praised for doing something so simple as changing his own child's diaper. Meanwhile, the woman was expected to cook, clean, nurture, work, and do said praising of her husband's mediocrity. We live in an age in which men are still too prideful to learn how to depend on themselves while they expect their partners to work inside and outside of the home simultaneously. While men sprint over professional and personal hurdles, women are forced to do so with an oven mitt in one hand, a toddler wrapped around their legs, and a husband on his death bed (with the common cold) whining in their ear.