I have me brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving beyond words.
Gloria SteinemRead
Girls are taught to view their bodies as unending projects to work on, whereas boys from a young age, are taught to view their bodies as tools to master their environment
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the different societal expectations placed on girls and boys regarding their bodies.
Gloria Steinem's quote emphasizes the contrasting ways in which girls and boys are socialized to perceive their bodies. While girls are often conditioned to see their bodies as something that requires constant improvement and modification, boys are encouraged to regard their bodies as functional tools that enable them to engage with and navigate the world around them. This disparity can lead to differing self-esteem, body image issues, and societal roles between genders.
Themes
GenderBody ImageSocietySelf-PerceptionMaleFemale
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on gender equality, this quote can be used to illustrate the different pressures boys and girls face.
More from Gloria Steinem
All quotes →If women are supposed to be less rational and more emotional at the beginning of our menstrual cycle when the female hormone is at its lowest level, then why isn't it logical to say that, in those few days, women behave the most like the way men behave all month long?
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Age brings a freedom. When you're young, you're much more subject to the idea of what feminine is or how you should look or how you should behave.
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All those chemicals that create empathy only work when you are in a room together.
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Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.
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Obviously, there is much similarity among the challenges of transgender people and all women - from health care to harassment to discrimination in the workplace.
Gloria SteinemRead
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