WGS 201 Intro to Womens Studies

In this first Module Activity, “My Feminist Manifesto,” you will be taking a cue from Chimamanda Adiche, the author and activist who brought us “The Danger of a Single Story” and Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017).

What I’d like you to do is to write your own “feminist manifesto.” A manifesto (Links to an external site.) is a declaration of convictions. You must offer 8 to 10 suggestions, and write at least 200 words about each of them. (That’s 1600 to 2000 words total.) Like Adichie’s manifesto, which is addressed as a letter to a friend who is a new mother, your suggestions should be addressed to a specific person, real or imaginary–either the parent of a girl or a girl herself. (This can be an actual parent you know, an actual girl in your life, such as your daughter or niece, or an imaginary person, such as your future daughter or future student). Moreover–and this is important–your suggestions must be based on, and must draw on, at least 5 of the readings or videos from Module 1, not including Dear Ijeawele itself. Please use direct quotes and cite them appropriately.

Beyond those requirements, which are meant to get you thinking about what you’ve learned from the Module 1 readings and how you define feminism, you may be as creative as you like in writing your manifesto. I find Adichie to be a riveting, engaging writer because she offers examples, personal stories, and factual evidence to support her advice to her friend. You should similarly draw on all of those available forms of support and evidence to try to be as convincing as possible! And remember that when you aim to convince, you should keep your specific audience in mind.

You should upload your feminist manifesto as a Word document, PDF file, or Google Doc below. If you use Google Docs, please make sure you give me permission to view the file by selecting “share.” Thank you!

Rubric (Criteria for Evaluation)

Module 1 Activity: My Feminist Manifesto will be graded based on:

1. full completion of all minimal requirements (word counts, assignment goals, direct quotes);
2. thorough understanding of the Module 1 readings and appropriate and meaningful incorporation into your manifesto;
3. your creativity in writing a letter that is compelling and engaging to a specific person while also fulfilling assignment goals; and
4. the clarity and persuasiveness of your writing.

readings or videos from Module 1:

• Handout: “Some Definitions of Feminism / Some U.S. Statistics”
• Sandra Kim, “Why Everyday Feminism Is for Everyone” (Links to an external site.) (2012)
• Katherine Fritz, “An Illustrated Guide to Feminism” (Links to an external site.) (2014)
• bell hooks-feminism is for everybody.txt (upload)
• Video: Tavi Gevinson, “A Teen Just Trying to Figure It Out” (Links to an external site.) (2012)
• Byron Hurt, “Men Can Be Feminists, Too” (Links to an external site.) (2011)
• Poem: Kaylin Haught, “God Says Yes to Me” (Links to an external site.) (1995)
• Video: Chimamanda Adichie, “The Danger of a Single Story” (Links to an external site.) (2009)
• Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I A Woman?” (Links to an external site.) (1851)
• Elizabeth Kiefer, “What Is Sexual Harassment? A Glossary of the #MeToo Movement” (Links to an external site.) (2018)
• Video: Roxane Gay, “Confessions of a Bad Feminist” (Links to an external site.) (2015)
• Chimamanda Adichie’s Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017), https://www.okayafrica.com/chimamanda-adichie/