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
For women... bras, panties, bathing suits, and other stereotypical gear are visual reminders of a commercial, idealized feminine image that our real and diverse female bodies can't possibly fit. Without these visual references, each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on its own terms. We stop being comparatives. We begin to be unique.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of embracing individual body diversity over societal beauty standards.
Gloria Steinem highlights how traditional female clothing items like bras and bathing suits create commercialized ideals of femininity that pressure women to conform to unrealistic standards. By moving away from these visual references, women can appreciate their own bodies' uniqueness and accept themselves without comparison to others, fostering a sense of individuality and self-acceptance.
Themes
Body PositivityIndividualityFeminismSelf-AcceptanceDiversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about body positivity at a women's conference.
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.
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