Adichie said to Hilary Clinton, “In your Twitter account, the first word that describes you is ‘Wife.’ And then I think it’s ‘Mom,’ and then it’s ‘Grandmother.’ And when I saw that, I have to confess that I felt just a little bit upset. And then I went and I looked at your husband’s Twitter account, and the first word was not ‘husband.’”
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Chimamanda Adichie's question to Hilary Clinton sparks an online debate on feminism
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie asks Hillary Clinton why her Twitter bio starts with 'wife' during an interview.
Adichie was curious to know if it was Hillary Clinton’s choice to first identify herself in relation to her husband and that, if so, why. Clinton replied with an explanation that women should have the ability to celebrate their accomplishments and their relationships. She quoted a speech she heard from Barbara Bush, the late wife of former president, George H. W. Bush. “At the end of the day, it won’t matter if you got a raise, it won’t matter if you wrote a great book if you are not also someone who values relationships,” Clinton said.
Adichie then replied that she did not quite agree with Bush. “It shouldn’t be either/or. It should be that if you are someone who is defining yourself by what you do and what you accomplish, and that is satisfying, then more power to you. That is how you should be thinking about your life, and living it. If you are someone who primarily defines your life in relationship to others, then more power to you, and live that life the way Barbara Bush lived that life, and how proud she was to do it.”
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Adichie’s question has since sparked a debate on Twitter since morning, with some vouching for her and declaring their support of the question. Some others have tagged her question “petty”.
Here are some reactions
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This young lady wrote an entire letter to Adichie
And Juliet ‘Kego defended feminism as a choice in this thread
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