Read It: Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

June 19, 2017


I bought this book straight off the shelf in the bookstore. I had never heard of it, or the author, before, but I was intrigued by the content and possibilities of learning that would come with it. I was not disapointed. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote a beautiful letter to a good friend and her newborn daughter, and was kind enough to share it with the world. And for that, I am grateful.

Let me start off by saying that I like how she wrote the book in the form of "suggestions" and not "rules" on how to be a feminist. There is nothing pushy, or rude about the way that she approaches the subject, and you can take what you want from what she shares. How I grew up, my own life experiences, my self-assessments all play a large part in how I view myself as a woman, and how I view other women -- this is true of everyone.

As the mother of a young boy, I read this book as a way to raise my son as a feminist without any changes to the suggestions -- as if they were only meant for girls. Obviously there are some things I will have to alter slightly as he will grow up with society teaching him that he is better in every respect simply because he is a boy. But, the changes I mean are subtle, like respecting women that want to be a full person; keeping a household and raising children together with his spouse; supporting his spouse in all of the choices that she makes and not "allowing" her to do them -- assuming he will marry a woman. These are all suggestions written in the book, but the way they are written is for a woman fighting to make these a reality, not for a man that is going to help her.

I believe he sees a lot of this in the marriage that my husband and I have, and we have surrounded ourselves with strong people that show him a positive influence, but we all slip up sometimes. This book is a good reminder of which direction I want to go myself, and which direction I want to raise my son.

The book also made me realise how fortunate I was to grow up in the household that I did. I was never told that I couldn't play ball, play rough, show an interest in woodworking, or even learn how to fix things that were broken. I was never pushed in a certain direction that was considered more feminine. I was never told I couldn't do something or wear something because it was "for boys". I was allowed to discover and explore the world in which ever way that I wanted, and for that I am truly grateful. My parents probably never realised that they were raising me to be a feminist, but I appreciate that they fostered my interests and this book helped me to see that.




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Shop Update: Paris of the Prairies T-Shirts

June 17, 2017


We are so excited to announce that Paris of the Prairies t-shirts are now available at one of the shops where our cards are stocked in Saskatoon, Soul Paper. It is available in two styles: women's crew-neck and unisex v-neck in sizes small-large -- for now.

This has been a project a long time in the making, and it feels good to finally be able to reveal what we have been working on. We also have a few other ideas up our sleeves -- pun intended -- that we can't wait to share with you!



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