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The IWW [Industrial Workers of the World] has been accused of pushing women to the front. This is not true. Rather, the women have not been kept in back, and so they have naturally moved to the front.
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Women have taken active roles in movements, rather than being forced into them.

In this quote, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn emphasizes that the involvement of women in the labor movement, specifically within the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), is a result of their own agency and determination rather than any external pressure or coercion. She highlights the natural progression of women stepping into leadership roles and being recognized for their contributions, countering the misconception that they are being pushed or forced into activism.

Themes

WomenActivismLabor MovementAgencyLeadership

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech at a women's rights rally to emphasize the importance of women's roles in movements.

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