--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Women need not always keep their mouths…" description: "\"Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.\" — Emma Goldman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png" --- # Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their… ![“Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.” quote by Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png) > “Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.” [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women should not be forced to stay silent or only be valued for reproduction. **In simple terms:** Women deserve voice and agency. Key Takeaway Advocate for women's autonomy. Themes gender rights autonomy Mood determined hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - education - healthcare Key Concepts feminist theory bodily autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What silences women today? - How can we empower reproductive choices? A Different Perspective Cultural resistance may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [I like to say that women are those who form life in their wombs - and this is a comparison I make - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-like-to-say-that-women-are-those-who-form-life-in-their-wombs-and/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [But if God had wanted us to think just with our wombs, why did He give us a brain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/but-if-god-had-wanted-us-to-think-just-with-our-wombs-why-did-he-give/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [Perhaps if we saw what was ahead of us, and glimpsed the follies, and misfortunes that would befall us later on, we would all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perhaps-if-we-saw-what-was-ahead-of-us-and-glimpsed-the-follies-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But if God had wanted us to think with just our wombs, why did He give us a brain?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/but-if-god-had-wanted-us-to-think-with-just-our-wombs-why-did-he-give/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [To think but nobly of my grandmother: Good wombs have borne bad sons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/to-think-but-nobly-of-my-grandmother-good-wombs-have-borne-bad-sons/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There are so many of us, so many girls. The world wants us for our wombs or our bodies, or it doesn't want us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/there-are-so-many-of-us-so-many-girls-the-world-wants-us-for-our/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [“We are two legged wombs, that's all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-are-two-legged-wombs-that-s-all-sacred-vessels-ambulatory-chalices/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Good wombs have borne bad sons." -- (Miranda, I:2)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/good-wombs-have-borne-bad-sons-miranda-i-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [But if God wanted us to think with our wombs, why did he give us a brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/but-if-god-wanted-us-to-think-with-our-wombs-why-did-he-give-us-a/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [“The condition of women’s wombs also directly reflects the condition of women’s minds, spirits, and actions. The womb is a storehouse of all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-afua/the-condition-of-women-s-wombs-also-directly-reflects-the-condition/) Queen Afua > [Fewer women would have abortions if wombs had windows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-nathanson/fewer-women-would-have-abortions-if-wombs-had-windows/) [Bernard Nathanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-nathanson/) > [“If God had wanted us to think with our wombs, why did he give us a brain?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-god-had-wanted-us-to-think-with-our-wombs-why-did-he-give-us-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“During those nine pouched-up months, what do babies imagine? Gills, swamps, battlefields? To people in wombs, what is imagined and what is real must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/during-those-nine-pouched-up-months-what-do-babies-imagine-gills/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Fools have big wombs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/fools-have-big-wombs/) [William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/) > [We didn't ask for our wombs and ovaries, and this presumption that we have to use them because otherwise it's a waste, otherwise we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-o-porter/we-didn-t-ask-for-our-wombs-and-ovaries-and-this-presumption-that-we/) [Dawn O'Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-o-porter/) ## More by Emma Goldman > [Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name! All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/poor-human-nature-what-horrible-crimes-have-been-committed-in-thy/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Lack of fairness to an opponent is essentially a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/lack-of-fairness-to-an-opponent-is-essentially-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice-2/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Only when human sorrows are turned into a toy with glaring colors will baby people become interested - for a while at least. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/only-when-human-sorrows-are-turned-into-a-toy-with-glaring-colors/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [More pernicious than the power of a dictator is that of a class; the most terrible - the tyranny of a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/more-pernicious-than-the-power-of-a-dictator-is-that-of-a-class-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Love, the strongest and deepest element in all life, the harbinger of hope, of joy, of ecstasy; love, the definer of all laws, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/love-the-strongest-and-deepest-element-in-all-life-the-harbinger-of/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Whether our reformers admit it or not, the economic and social inferiority of women is responsible for prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/whether-our-reformers-admit-it-or-not-the-economic-and-social/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-free-expression-of-the-hopes-and-aspirations-of-a-people-is-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/someone-has-said-that-it-requires-less-mental-effort-to-condemn-than/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The persecution of the innovator and protestant has always been inspired by fear on the part of constituted authority of having its infallibility questioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-persecution-of-the-innovator-and-protestant-has-always-been/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Order derived through submission and maintained by terror is not much of a safe guaranty; yet that is the only "order" that governments have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/order-derived-through-submission-and-maintained-by-terror-is-not-much/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Today is the parent of tomorrow. The present casts its shadow far into the future. That is the law of life, individual and social.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/today-is-the-parent-of-tomorrow-the-present-casts-its-shadow-far-into/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Salvation lies in an energetic march onward towards a brighter and clearer future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/salvation-lies-in-an-energetic-march-onward-towards-a-brighter-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The more hideous the mental contortions, the greater the delight and bravos of the mass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-more-hideous-the-mental-contortions-the-greater-the-delight-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) [Explore all 368 Emma Goldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## More Women quotes > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [“Still, my argument was that if she was going to work for the next 30 years, what difference does "going back" 4 years really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/still-my-argument-was-that-if-she-was-going-to-work-for-the-next-30/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/at-the-drop-of-a-hat-people-will-say-there-are-no-roles-for-women/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I found out about Sister Song through Poppy Liu, who's on the show 'Hacks.' Reproductive rights are human rights, and I wanted to shine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-found-out-about-sister-song-through-poppy-liu-who-s-on-the-show/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [Women have seen that they have locked themselves up with feminist writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/women-have-seen-that-they-have-locked-themselves-up-with-feminist/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. You can have leading women powering through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/you-can-have-asians-being-leading-men-that-are-sex-symbols-you-can/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) [Browse all 19,706 Women quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emma Goldman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths-shut-and-their-wombs-open/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Women" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths-shut-and-their-wombs-open/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/emma-goldman-774_women_women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths_2656549.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.” — Emma Goldman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Emma Goldman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Women need not always keep their...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths-shut-and-their-wombs-open/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/women-need-not-always-keep-their-mouths-shut-and-their-wombs-open/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```