Women’s Equality Day: Quotes by Women for Women
Today celebrates a day in history, in particular, the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Before the 19th Amendment was passed, no woman had the right to vote. Women’s suffrage, or the political fight to enfranchise women, is widely considered to have begun with the Seneca Fall convention, as chronicled by this U.S. House’s Office of the Historian. During this gathering, which was held in Seneca Falls, N.Y. in 1848, organizers drafted a “Declaration of Sentiments, Grievances, and Resolutions” that echoed the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.”
To us, a feminist is not someone who hates men and who wishes for a female-dominated world force. A feminist does not necessarily have homosexual inclinations, though those who do are perfectly in their right to do so. Feminism does not mean that women are demanding social, cultural and financial respect at the cost of their male counterparts. Feminism is simply the recognition of being an equal. A heard voice. A respected mind.
Below you will find a collection of some of our favorite empowering quotes from women that have paved the way for us in their respective fields. To all the women and men continuing the fight for feminism in 2017, get inspired by the words of the trailblazing women who’ve said it best. 💋🤘🏻
“Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men, it does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a bitch or a dyke. It means you believe in equality.”
Kate Nash
“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”
Malala Yousafzai
Photo courtesy of Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
Audre Lorde
“I’m a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.”
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”
Maya Angelou
“To all the little girls who are watching, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”
Hillary Clinton
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made… It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.”
Sheryl Sandberg
“We need to do a better job of mentorships and role models to bring other young women along so that there’s more women in our boardrooms, there’s more women here in the United States Senate and in Congress. I think there’s an important role for women to play. And I’m all about tearing down those barriers.”
Catherine Cortez Masto
“Women will be hidden no more. We will not remain hidden figures. We have names…It was woman that gave you Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was woman that gave you Malcolm X. And according to the Bible, it was a woman that gave you Jesus. Don’t you ever forget it.”
Janelle Monáe
“The more I have spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.”
Emma Watson
“Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.”
Amelia Earhart