website statistics

Chimamanda writes about being a woman in urban Nigeria in the Financial Times

6

(CP-Africa) – Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie recently wrote a strong, effusive piece in the Financial Times about being a woman in urban Nigeria. Read some excerpts below as well as the full story in the Financial Times.

This is what it is to be youngish (early thirties) and female in urban Nigeria. You are driving and a policeman stops you and either he is leering and saying “fine aunty, I will marry you,” or he is sneering, with a taunt in his demeanour and the question so heavy in the air that it need not be asked: “which man bought this car for you and what did you have to do to get him to?”

She continues…

I am infuriated by the assumption that to be youngish and female means you are unable to earn your own living without a man. And yet. Sometimes I have taken on the simpering and smiling, because I am late or I am hot or I am simply not dedicated enough to my feminist principle.

Chimamanda means business in this piece. Read the full story in the Financial Times here

Share
Clip to Evernote
medium rectangle(artist) 300 x 250px
Share

Tags:

— CP-Africa.com

Every year, CP-Africa attracts millions of unique visitors that want to learn about Africa’s technology and economic progress. To become a contributor, e-mail editor@cp-africa.com. For adverts and sponsorships, e-mail adverts@cp-africa.com.

You might also like

  • Pingback: CP-Africa.com

  • ebeleobi

    Chimamanda for President!

  • Nki

    I’m sorry but I wasn’t impressed by this piece. I expected more artistry from Adichie, not this unoriginal and not very well written piece.

    True what she says, but it sounds like 'me' saying it, and there's a good reason why I am not a writer! In any case, her point is taken but not well made. I could say exactly the same thing about women in America. Wasn't Oprah crying just the other day, defending the rumors that she is not in fact a lesbian having an affair with her best friend Gayle? Would she be defending herself if she were married to Stedman and had 15 children? How about Hillary, why did she stay with a man who publicly humiliated and disgraced her? It was love right? Not because her political career would have died if she left him?

    Pleeeze, I think that if Adichie is going to write about the plight of the Nigerian woman, the least she could do is to give me something to get my teeth into, not some pedestrian echo of the plight of every woman in the world!

    Just saying… And for those of you who will be tempted to send daggers my way, my comment is to the quality of the writing, only.

  • obe

    People like Nki are the reason why women will never find justice in Nigeria. I can't believe a fellow woman will write something so shortsighted. smh

  • @Nki

    Funny you say that because this was actually one of my favorite written work by Chimamanda. I find most of her writing boring but at least this one woke me up. I think she is a better op-ed writer or even speech maker. I liked her TED speech.

  • naijalines

    Chimamanda tells it like it is. In Nigeria, women are shackled by the institution of marriage – It is used by the partiarchal system to define a woman's worth and the majority of Nigerian women are culturally brainwashed, buying into this ludicrous idea. It's great to see successful women like Chimamanda arguing the point that it is wrong.