We Should All Be Feminists

Some people ask: “Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?” Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general—but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human.

- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I used to be very hesitant to call myself a feminist. Obviously, I support the political, social, and economic equality of men and women. It's just the word I had a problem with. Did you have the same reaction?

Today after work, I read this book (via Caroline). I'm still hopelessly confused about many feminist ideas. But I loved the way Adichie addresses questioning the choice to name a philosophy, that is supposed to represent equality, feminism.