Feminism Quote by Bella Abzug
““Our struggle today is not to have a female Einstein get appointed as an assistant professor. It is for a woman schlemiel to get as quickly promoted as a male schlemiel. We are coming down from our pedestal and up from the laundry room. We want an equal share in government and we mean to get it. The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes. They used to give us a day--it was called International Women's Day. In 1975 they gave us a year, the Year of the Woman. Then from 1975 to 1985 they gave us a decade, the Decade of the Woman. I said at the time, who knows, if we behave they may let us into the whole thing. Well, we didn't behave and here we are.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Women's Rights Rally, 1975
Calls for gender equality in promotions, not just symbolic appointments, emphasizing merit over biology.
In simple terms: Women deserve equal promotion opportunities.
Key Takeaway
Push for merit‑based advancement.
Themes
gender equality
workplace fairness
social justice
Mood
assertive
critical
Type
political
motivational
When to use this quote
- corporate hiring
- academic tenure reviews
- government appointments
- leadership pipelines
- union negotiations
Key Concepts
systemic bias
promotion standards
gender stereotypes
Questions to Reflect On
- What policies can enforce fair promotion?
- How to address unconscious bias?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched cultural attitudes is slow.
