In the battle of the sexes, woman gains her greatest victory by surrendering.
—Unknown
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.
—Timothy Leary (1920–96) American Psychologist, Author
The people I’m getting furious with are the women’s liberationists. They keep getting on their soapboxes proclaiming that women are brighter than men. That’s true, but it should be kept quiet or it ruins the whole racket.
—Anita Loos (1888–1981) American Actor, Novelist, Screenwriter
Women are the only exploited group in history to have been idealized into powerlessness.
—Erica Jong (b.1942) American Novelist, Feminist
I wanted to be the first woman to burn her bra, but it would have taken the fire department four days to put it out.
—Dolly Parton (b.1946) American Musician, Actress
As it is our nature to be more moved by hope than fear, the example of one we see abundantly rewarded cheers and encourages us far more than the sight of many who have not been well treated disquiets us.
—Francesco Guicciardini (1483–1540) Italian Historian, Statesman
The sadness of the women’s movement is that they don’t allow the necessity of love. See, I don’t personally trust any revolution where love is not allowed.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
I became a feminist as an alternative to becoming a masochist.
—Sally Kempton (1943–2023) American Journalist, Spiritual Teacher
The Queen is most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of “Woman’s Rights” with all its attendant horrors on which her poor, feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feeling and propriety.
—Queen Victoria (1819–1901) British Royal
The first principle of full feminism is the simple equality of men and women. And it is an erroneous principle. For here nature steps in and forbids its achievement.
—Correa Moylan Walsh (1862–1936) American Statistician, Economist
Whether women are better than men I cannot say – but I can say they are certainly no worse.
—Golda Meir (1898–1978) Israeli Head of State
Like Broadway, the novel, and God, feminism has been declared dead many times.
—Katha Pollitt (b.1949) American Poet, Essayist
The true Republic: men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
Merely external emancipation has made of the modern woman an artificial being. Now, woman is confronted with the necessity of emancipating herself from emancipation, if she really desires to be free.
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940) Lithuanian-American Anarchist, Feminist
If I were a woman, I would never trust men who say they are feminists. Either they are acting out of guilt, trying to establish credentials, or they think they might be able to pick up more girls. If I were a woman, I would say, go away and have your first period. Then come back and tell me you are a feminist.
—R. David Thomas (1932–2002) American Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Men now monopolize the upper levels… depriving women of their rightful share of opportunities for incompetence.
—Laurence J. Peter (1919–90) Canadian-Born American Author
Women’s Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It’s the men who are discriminated against. They can’t bear children. And no one’s likely to do anything about that.
—Golda Meir (1898–1978) Israeli Head of State
Women’s liberation is the liberation of the feminine in the man and the masculine in the woman.
—Corita Kent (1918–86) American Nun, Artist, Educator
Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.
—Gloria Steinem (b.1934) American Feminist, Journalist, Activist, Political Advocate
Women get more unhappy the more they try to liberate themselves.
—Brigitte Bardot (b.1934) French Film Star
Let us rise in the moral power of womanhood; and give utterance to the voice of outraged mercy, and insulted justice, and eternal truth, and mighty love and holy freedom.
—Maria Weston Chapman (1806–85) American Abolitionist
I didn’t fight to get women out from behind vacuum cleaners to get them onto the board of Hoover.
—Germaine Greer (b.1939) Australia Academic, Journalist, Scholar, Writer
Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Male supremacy has kept woman down. It has not knocked her out.
—Clare Boothe Luce (1903–87) American Playwright, Diplomat, Journalist
I owe nothing to Women’s Lib.
—Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) British Head of State
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.
—Rebecca West (1892–1983) English Author, Journalist, Literary Critic
Just because we’re sisters under the skin doesn’t mean we’ve got much in common.
—Angela Carter (1940–92) English Novelist
Everything in woman hath a solution. It is called pregnancy.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Feminism was recognized by the average man as a conflict in which it was impossible for a man, as a chivalrous gentleman … as a highly evolved citizen of a highly civilized community, to refuse the claim of this better half to self-determination.
—Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957) English Novelist, Painter, Critic
We must not allow ourselves to be deflected by the feminists who are anxious to force us to regard the two sexes as completely equal in position and worth
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Leave a Reply