How [stories] are told, who tells them, when they’re told, how many stories are told — are really dependent on power.

They themselves mocked Africa, trading stories of absurdity, of stupidity, and they felt safe to mock, because it was a mockery born of longing, and of the heartbroken desire to see a place made whole again.

Never ever accept 'Because You Are A Woman' as a reason for doing or not doing anything.

We did that often, asking each other questions whose answers we already knew. Perhaps it was so that we would not ask the other questions, the ones whose answers we did not want to know.

The higher you go, the fewer women there are.

There are many different ways to be poor in the world but increasingly there seems to be one single way to be rich.

We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. If we have sons, we don't mind knowing about our sons' girlfriends, but our daughters' boyfriends? God forbid. But of course when the time is right, we expect those girls to bring back the perfect man to be their husband.