--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a time when women social…" description: "\"There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights, but this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/malala-yousafzai-808_activist_there-was-a-time-when-women-social-activ_2035109.png" --- # There was a time when women social activists asked men to… ![“There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights, but this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves.” quote by Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/malala-yousafzai-808_activist_there-was-a-time-when-women-social-activ_2035109.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/malala-yousafzai-808_activist_there-was-a-time-when-women-social-activ_2035109.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/malala-yousafzai-808_activist_there-was-a-time-when-women-social-activ_2035109.png) > “There was a time when women social activists asked men to stand up for their rights, but this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women's rights rather I am focusing on women to be independent to fight for themselves.” [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) ## 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 claim agency over their rights rather than relying on men to advocate for them. **In simple terms:** Women must fight for themselves. Key Takeaway Empower women to lead their own advocacy. Themes gender equality activism independence Mood determited hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - education campaigns Key Concepts feminism self‑determination social change Questions to Reflect On - How can men support without dominating the narrative? - What structures enable women’s independent activism? A Different Perspective May overlook the value of allyship and collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Activists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activists/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Women 's rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-s-rights/) [Women rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-rights/) [Women'S Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-s-rights-2/) ## Related quotes > [There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/you-know-my-father-was-a-great-encouragement-for-me-because-he-spoke/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [It's pretty rare to have CEOs or high level executives at big companies who are social activists. They tend not to be drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-greenfield/it-s-pretty-rare-to-have-ceos-or-high-level-executives-at-big/) [Jerry Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-greenfield/) > [“Thomas Merton once said that some of the most violent people he met were social activists, in what they did to themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-knitter/thomas-merton-once-said-that-some-of-the-most-violent-people-he-met/) [Paul F. Knitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-knitter/) > [Yes, there's something dangerous about turning people into token social activists. I was thinking about this recently with our pop-culture feminism, when feminism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/yes-there-s-something-dangerous-about-turning-people-into-token/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [It's funny how social activists usually protest against the only things that have a credible chance of achieving the activists' goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-funny-how-social-activists-usually-protest-against-the-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Let us not forget that among \[women's\] rights is the right to speak freely. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/let-us-not-forget-that-among-women-s-rights-is-the-right-to-speak/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The greatest contribution you can make to women's rights, is to be the absolute ... best at what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-greatest-contribution-you-can-make-to-women-s-rights-is-to-be-the/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a human story, and women's rights are human rights, and it's all about equality, but at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-strahovski/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-human-story-and-women-s-rights-are-human/) [Yvonne Strahovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-strahovski/) > [I've often observed that women can be the weakest link in women's rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-sasson/i-ve-often-observed-that-women-can-be-the-weakest-link-in-women-s/) [Jean Sasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-sasson/) > [“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-care-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [The strongest statement ever made about women's rights appears on page one of the Bible. God's first words about his daughters established an indestructible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-custis-james/the-strongest-statement-ever-made-about-women-s-rights-appears-on/) [Carolyn Custis James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-custis-james/) > [All men should be feminists. If men cared about women's rights, the world would be a better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/all-men-should-be-feminists-if-men-cared-about-women-s-rights-the/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) ## More by Malala Yousafzai > [I don't want to be remembered as the girl who was shot. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-don-t-want-to-be-remembered-as-the-girl-who-was-shot-i-want-to-be/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I think I have a right to live my life the way I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-think-i-have-a-right-to-live-my-life-the-way-i-like/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I want to have fun, but I don't quite know how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-want-to-have-fun-but-i-don-t-quite-know-how/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [In some parts of the world, students are going to school every day. It's their normal life. But in other part of the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/in-some-parts-of-the-world-students-are-going-to-school-every-day-it/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [If one man can destroy everything, why can't one girl change it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/if-one-man-can-destroy-everything-why-can-t-one-girl-change-it/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [“We all played cricket on the street or rooftops together, but I knew as we got older the girls would be expected to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/we-all-played-cricket-on-the-street-or-rooftops-together-but-i-knew/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [When I was young I used to listen to other people and to try and understand what they thought and where they were coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/when-i-was-young-i-used-to-listen-to-other-people-and-to-try-and/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Once I had asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead, he made me as tall as the sky, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/once-i-had-asked-god-for-one-or-two-extra-inches-in-height-but/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [We human beings don't realize how great God is. He has given us an extraordinary brain and a sensitive loving heart. He has blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/we-human-beings-don-t-realize-how-great-god-is-he-has-given-us-an/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [ Education had been a great gift for him \[Ziauddin\]. He believed that lack of education was the root of all the Pakistan's problems. Ignorance… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/education-had-been-a-great-gift-for-him-ziauddin-he-believed-that/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I was born a proud daughter of Pakistan, though like all Swatis I thought of myself first as a Swati and Pashtun, before Pakistani.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-was-born-a-proud-daughter-of-pakistan-though-like-all-swatis-i/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I had two options One was to remain silent and wait to be killed and the second was to speak up and then be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-had-two-options-one-was-to-remain-silent-and-wait-to-be-killed-and/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The important thing to note is that it is not important whether Malala was shot or not - Malala is not asking for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/the-important-thing-to-note-is-that-it-is-not-important-whether/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [It's an honor to be awarded the Liberty Medal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/it-s-an-honor-to-be-awarded-the-liberty-medal/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) [Explore all 348 Malala Yousafzai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) ## More Activist quotes > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. 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Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Social media is not just another way to connect feminist and activist voices - it amplifies our messages as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/social-media-is-not-just-another-way-to-connect-feminist-and-activist/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I have never been an activist for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/i-have-never-been-an-activist-for-anything/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time. 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