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These inspiring gender equality quotes leave us with hope for the future ― as well as an awareness of how much work we have to do!
I think equality basically begins in the mind. It is an individual’s perception of treating another person at par with himself/herself. It does not happen in one day – it’s more of a practice that you do every day. These inspiring gender equality quotes leave us with hope for the future – as well as an awareness of how much work we have to do!
Observing a Mother’s Day or a Fathers’ Day or an International Women’s Day is meaningless if we do not understand the crux of the meaning of equality. Ultimately, it is something that we need to internalise, and reflect on in our actions as well. Without this, purely focusing on observances does not help us further the cause of equality at all.
The good news is, that we don’t have to start from scratch. There is plenty of wisdom that we can draw upon, from the women who have fought the fight before us, as well as from men who have supported the cause. We can learn so much from their struggles, their learning, and the experiences, which they have shared with us.
While these quotes don’t translate into action directly, they are certainly words of wisdom for us to reflect on and make our own!
“We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons… but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.”
― Gloria Steinem
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
― Maya Angelou
“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”
― Emma Watson
“Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility.”
— Ban Ki-moon
“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.”
— Kofi Annan
“A gender-equal society would be one where the word ‘gender’ does not exist: where everyone can be themselves.”
— Gloria Steinem
“Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all kinds of oppression.”
— Nelson Mandela
“We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today women make up of half the U.S. workforce, but the average working women earn only 77% of what the average man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change.”
— Beyonce Knowles
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.”
― Plato, The Republic
“A world full of empowered women isn’t one where men are marginalized. It’s a world where everyone thrives.”
― Purnima Mane, President and CEO of Pathfinder International
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasion
“No country can every truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half its citizens.”
― Michelle Obama
“Equality is not just the right thing to do. It’s smart economics. How can an economy achieve full potential if it ignores, sidelines, or fails to invest in half its population?”
― Robert Zoellick
“I raise 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
― Fridah Githuku
“Equal pay isn’t just a women’s issue; when women get equal pay, their family incomes rise, and the whole family benefits.”
― Graça Machel
“Next time you are about to call a little girl bossy, say instead: She has executive leadership skills.”
― Tian Wei
― Lakshmi Balachandra
“Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation.”
― Qingrong Ma
Hope these quotes by famous personalities bring in some positive vibes so that we develop a fresh outlook towards life.
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Life is a journey and I have a long way to travel… I am a nomad at heart, a non-conformist of many rules, a hopeless romantic and I mostly look for self-motivation when read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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