Because You're a Girl

The next reading was Because You’re a Girl written by Ijeoma A. The writer grew up in Africa. Where she is from the girls of the household do all the cleaning, cooking, etc. She explains about her early life and how she was constantly waiting on her family especially the men of the house her brothers and cousins. The writer talks about how when she was in school she learned that if she became part of the student government she could have some kind of authority to enforce school rules and to make people do things. Through this experience she learned pretty young that if she is in a place of authority she can use it to get people to do stuff for her. Growing up she excelled so much in school that her father decided to send her to America to attend college in Ohio. America was very different from where she grew up and she would at first live in fear that if she didn’t keep things clean like they were supposed to be her parents would be told and she would get scolded for not obeying. Here in America she picked up some American culture where the boys are expected to do the same as girls. She learned to tell guys and people for that matter “Yeah, do it your damned self!” when people would ask or tell her to do something. While in college she found a sense of freedom or a sort of a new self. She struggled through her life to become independent, strong and intelligent. She is really seeking to live a happy life, one that she can love herself without judgement from others.

#Africa #girls #chores #obeying