Shada Lauderdale- A Letter to Adichie

Summary

Dear Adichie,

I am writing this letter in hopes of sharing some of the same view's feminism has on society. Feminism is someone who advocates for the rights of women to be equal. Today, men and women are still not treated equally. Men still get paid more than women while being equally qualified. Women must demonstrate they are qualified for positions a man would normally occupy ten times more than a man would do. Women work harder to prove they are an asset to companies, so they get higher salaries and better positions. Men are allowed to stay out past a certain time, but women should not be outside past a certain time due to them being susceptible to rape or being harassed. Men are looked at as the financial supporter whereas women are to take care of the house. I have read your story, “We Should All Be Feminists” and people should be feminists because our sex does not define who we are, our ability to do unique things defines who we are. A male who is intimidated by a woman who makes more money than them should re-evaluate their life because they think they are less than a man or it creates conflict because the woman is earning more income than the man. Your teacher was wrong for not allowing you to be class monitor due to it being a” boys” job. She did not specify until you had already had the highest score in the classroom. I see how that can ruin one’s self esteem and put someone down after being promised a position only to be turned down due to it being given to the opposite sex. There was an example you made when you went to a Nigerian hotel and the guard at the entrance assumed you were a sex worker because you were alone, helped me realize that woman had to endure a lot to be considered equal to men. Women were pressured into getting married at a certain age, could not go to bars alone or they would be turned away, and being ignored walking into an establishment. I know in this world it is hard for women to be considered equal to men till this day. We still love in a world that considers men to be more dominant in relationships and friendships.

Sincerely, Shada Lauderdale