You can't be what you can't see, so it's harder for women…
![“You can't be what you can't see, so it's harder for women to say, "I'm going to be a [presidential] candidate," so we need to go to women who would be good candidates and say, "You would be a good candidate and I'll help you." It's not a passive question, it's not when will it happen, but an…” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/d74/gloria-steinem-277_active_you-can-t-be-what-you-can-t-see-so-it-s_3207162.jpg)
“You can't be what you can't see, so it's harder for women to say, "I'm going to be a [presidential] candidate," so we need to go to women who would be good candidates and say, "You would be a good candidate and I'll help you." It's not a passive question, it's not when will it happen, but an active question, when will we make it happen?”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Women lack visible role models in leadership, so active mentorship and encouragement are needed to increase female political candidacy.
In simple terms: Seeing role models matters; we must actively support women leaders.
Key Takeaway
Mentor and promote women for leadership roles.
Themes
gender equality
leadership
mentorship
representation
activism
Mood
motivational
empowering
Type
advocacy
inspirational
When to use this quote
- political campaigns
- educational programs
- community organizing
- media representation
- policy reform
Key Concepts
role modeling
political candidacy
empowerment
systemic barriers
Questions to Reflect On
- What concrete steps can increase women’s political visibility?
- How can allies effectively support female candidates?
A Different Perspective
Progress may be slow without structural change; cultural biases persist.