3/21/23
Dear Ms. Adicie,
Hello, my name is Dazne Gomez. I am 18 years old and a current student at BMCC in New York City. I recently saw your TED Talk in class about “We Should All Be Feminists,” and I totally agree with your arguments. Being a woman and growing up in a family made up mostly of women, I know what it is like to deal with harassment and machismo that exists in the world and in which places it is most visible. Based on your words, an example would be Nigeria, your country of origin.
I reflected on the experiences that you shared in your TED Talk, and it is true that many times we do not realize how prevalent these issues are, and we just let things go. They can be as simple as the stereotype that men always have to pay the bill. A cause of this is the way of upbringing that has a clear difference, where men should be strong and women the “damsel in distress.” It is so common that even when a woman acquires more power than a man, they can feel intimidated. For example, how to acquire a good position in a company and not just be seen as “wife material.” There are still many archaic thoughts, but I also believe that there are many ways to change this. For example, the new generations are already aware of this, and I think this is something that could change just by changing the way kids are raised. Teaching them that it’s okay to cry and be afraid and teaching girls that it’s okay to be strong and independent. If we look more at ability than gender, if we stop comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each one, if we change the “culture,” there are many erroneous definitions of “feminism.” But as you said, being a feminist is not only about wanting the rights of women, it is also about wanting equality, equal rights, possibilities, of upbringing, life choices, and I, as a woman and always an accomplice of this, also of course, from how I was brought up, agree. I also agree to change things to make it happen, so that every person, regardless of gender, has the same rights.
Thank you for your time, Dazne Gomez
