Summary on 'Dear Ijeawele,' or 'A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions'

Dear Ijeawele, or, A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions is a book written by the talented Nigerian Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which was originally an E-mail consisting of 62 pages to the Author's friend in the form of a letter. It was first posted on her official Facebook page on October 12th, 2016 before being adapted into a book. It was first published in print on March 7th of 2017. Although it was initially written in response to a female friend, the manifesto itself has been perceived by various other audiences beyond that of mothers of daughters.Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions is composed of fifteen suggestions serving as advice on how to teach a daughter to be feminist, including numerous references to Ngozi Adichie and Ijeawele's shared Nigerian heritage, as well as culture; the Igbo culture. Dear Ijeawele was ranked NPR's 2017's Great reads list.

It starts off with a tender introduction that explains how the letter itself came about when a dear friend asked her how best to raise her baby daughter a feminist. In reference to her friend's request, Ngozi Adichie decided to write a letter which she hoped to be honest and practical at the same time, offering a distinctive pattern for her own feminist thinking. She goes on to emphasize the moral importance of engaging in honest conversations about bringing up children differently in hopes of creating a fairer world for both sexes. The suggestions in this book are organized in a series of documented information much like an epistolary novel contributing a personal impression of the manifesto to its readers as it strives to challenge the prejudices of Gender

(For those new to Feminist perspectives, Gender is not the same as sex. Sex refers to the biological aspects of people whereas Gender is a socially constructed systematic division which contributes to a Patriarchal and Capitalist society) and expectations relating to it. It is written in quite clear and simplified English Grammar which provides its readers with an understanding enabling them to take notice of social situations in which gender inequality may be found. resting on the required expected behavior their daughters will have to conform to at one point or another. Some issues discussed in this book range from the domestic sexual division of labour which includes expected 'expressive routines' such as cooking and house-keeping duties to the impact of gender-based perceptions, tastes and habits.

In addition to this, the overall aim of the manifesto is gender equality. Also referred to as egalitarianism, it is the principle that all people are equal and deserve fundamental rights and life chances and opportunities equivalent to all.

The fifteen suggestions are very direct and on-point. They begin as follows:

1. Be a full person.

2. Do it together.

3. Teach her that 'Gender Roles' are absolute nonsense.

4. Beware the danger of what I call 'Feminism-Lite'

5. Teach Chizalum to read.

6. Teach her to question language.

7. Never speak of marriage as an achievement.

8. Teach her to reject likeability.

9. Give Chizalum a sense of Identity.

10. Be deliberate about hoe you engage with her and her appearance.

11. Teach her to question our culture's selective use of biology as 'reasons' for social norms.

12. Talk to her about sex and start early.

13. Romance will happen so be on board.

14. In teaching her about oppression, be careful not to turn the oppressed into saints.

15. Teach her about difference.

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