by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

STOCKHOLM, Sweden–

On December 1st, Sweden distributed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s manifesto, “We Should All Be Feminists,” to every 16-year-old student in the country. The Swedish Women’s Lobby partnered with other major feminist groups in the country to promote the idea, with the hope that the manifesto would spark national conversations about the importance of feminism. Sweden is already one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, so the initiative went mostly without controversy.

“This is the book that I wish all of my male classmates would have read when I was 16,” Clara Berglund, president of the Swedish Women’s Lobby, commented about the project. “It feels so important to contribute to this project. It is a gift to all second-grade high-school students, but it is also a gift to ourselves and future generations.”

The essay, We Should All Be Feminists, was adapted from Adichie’s TED talk of the same name. In it, she discusses how gender roles and traditional views of femininity and masculinity serve to hurt both men and women. By embracing feminism, she argues, both men and women can benefit and live happier lives. Adichie also discusses how feminism directly addresses the issue of gender inequality, while a gender human rights mission does not.

The initiative was met mostly with praise, with the hope that teachers would incorporate the text into their lesson plans. The Swedish government is also sponsoring discussion guidelines and distributing talking points to teachers to aid in this process. “Gender equality is one of the cornerstones of Swedish society,” Sweden’s official gender equality website says. By teaching teenagers about gender issues and inequality, the goal is to remove the stigma around the idea of feminism in simple language they can understand.

Adichie herself recorded a message to the Swedish teenagers who were receiving her book, saying that she hoped one day they could all live in a world that was “truly just and equal.”

For more information, please see—

Daily News–Sweden to give away copy of ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ to all 16-year-olds in country— 04 December 2015

GOOD Magazine–Every 16-Year-Old in Sweden Will Get a Copy of We Should All Be Feminists— 04 December 2015

The Guardian–Every 16-year-old in Sweden to receive copy of We Should All Be Feminists— 04 December 2015

NPR–Sweden Gives ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ To Every 16-Year-Old Student— 04 December 2015