“I have trouble with someone holding the door for a woman”, Chimamanda Adichie Admits
Written by MaxFM on June 8, 2018
Award-winning author and Female activist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie appeared on Trevor Noah’s show on Wednesday June 6, 2018 and she made a statement on chivalry that is causing a lot of stir on the internet.
The author said, chivalry, for example opening doors for people, shouldn’t be gender-based and women should also open the door for men.
She told Trevor Noah:
“I think gestures like holding the door shouldn’t be gender-based. I think it’s a lovely thing to hold the door but we should hold the door for everyone. Like, I hold the door for men and for women. And so I think the idea of someone holding the door for a woman because she’s a woman… I have trouble with it. I’m quite happy for people to hold the door for me. But I’m like, hope they’re not doing it because of this sort of idea of chivalry. Because chivalry is really about the idea that women are somehow weak and need protecting. But we know that really, there are many women who are stronger than men.”
She also expressed her view on women being thought of as weak and given preferential treatment in crisis situations, the novelist said:
“So really, what I think is that the people we should protect are people who need protecting,, whether men or women. Which is also why I sort of have trouble with the idea of women and children. When women are classified in the same… I mean, when there’s a tragedy and we say, women and children should leave first. I think, actually, it’s the people who are weak, unwell, young… who should leave first.”
Watch video below:
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