Betty Friedan Quotes

Every woman should be filled with shame by the thought that she is a woman.

You—the outside world—will be told that it is our “culture” and “religion” to do X, Y, and Z to women. Understand that whoever deemed it as such was never a woman.

Behind all their personal vanity, women themselves always have an impersonal contempt for woman.

The sight of women talking together has always made men uneasy; nowadays it means rank subversion.

Nature says women are human beings, men have made religions to deny it. Nature says women are human beings, men cry out no!

Women are not pals enough with men, so we must make ourselves indispensable. After all, we have the greatest weapon in our hands by just being women.

Feminism, unlike almost every other social movement, is not a struggle against a distinct oppressor - it's not the ruling class or the occupiers or the colonizers - it's against a deeply held set of beliefs and assumptions that we women, far too often, hold ourselves.

Everything about women is in perpetual crisis.

Men that aren't threatened by opinionated, faintly aggressive women are in a minority.

Most women are wise to the fact that lots of men love a cat-fight, and thus go out of their way not to give them one.

Most men somewhere in their psyche are still dragging women around by their hair. It's terrible. I have two daughters, but even before my kids were born I always thought that it was terrible.

Control of females is mandatory for a successful, civilized, humane and compassionate society

Women’s power will be better tolerated when it’s wielded in service of patriarchal interests.

Girls are socialised in ways that are harmful to their sense of self - to reduce themselves, to cater to the egos of men, to think of their bodies as repositories of shame. As adult women, many struggle to overcome, to unlearn, much of that social conditioning.

A woman's desire is either terrifying, or it's ignored.

As a male writer, women are always what men pursue, and their world is always a mystery. So I always tried to present as many views as possible on women's worlds.

America is a land where men govern, but women rule.

I hate the victimization of women, always.

I remember becoming aware of women's issues and inequality. It became glaringly clear to me when I was living in America that women are regarded as less intelligent than men.

Usually when you see females in movies, they feel like they have these metallic structures around them, they are caged in by male energy.

There are some people who still feel threatened by strong women. That's their problem. It's not mine.

Misogyny not only for Joyce Banda but for women.

Women are the harshest critics of other women.

Women are reputed never to be disgusted. The sad fact is that they often are, but not with men; following the lead of men, they are most often disgusted with themselves.

Men don't oppress women any more than women oppress men.