---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For women not to fear rape because we can…"
description: "\"“For women not to fear rape because we can successfully defend ourselves against it is not anachronistic but revolutionary. For women to be considered ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg"
---

#  For women not to fear rape because we can successfully…

![“For women not to fear rape because we can successfully defend ourselves against it is not anachronistic but revolutionary. For women to be considered as potential warriors (in every sense of the word, including its physical representation) is not anachronistic but revolutionary. If realized, it…” quote by Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg)

> ““For women not to fear rape because we can successfully defend ourselves against it is not anachronistic but revolutionary. For women to be considered as potential warriors (in every sense of the word, including its physical representation) is not anachronistic but revolutionary. If realized, it might imply a radical change in modern life.””

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advocates viewing women as capable defenders and warriors, challenging traditional gender norms.

**In simple terms:** Women can be strong protectors.

Key Takeaway

Support empowerment and self‑defense training.

Themes

empowerment gender equality defense

Mood

inspirational provocative

Type

philosophical social

When to use this quote

- self‑defense classes
- community safety programs
- policy advocacy
- educational curricula
- media representation

Key Concepts

feminism social change radical agency

Questions to Reflect On

- What barriers exist to women’s self‑defense acceptance?
- How can institutions support this shift?

A Different Perspective

Societal resistance and safety concerns may arise.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anachronistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anachronistic-1067793/) [Anachronistic Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anachronistic-revolutionary-5664918/) [Defend Anachronistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-anachronistic-5664917/) [Fear Rape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-rape-835859/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Radical change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-change/) [Representation Anachronistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representation-anachronistic-5664919/)

## Related quotes

> [Most men fear getting laughed at or humiliated by a romantic prospect while most women fear rape and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-de-becker/most-men-fear-getting-laughed-at-or-humiliated-by-a-romantic-prospect/)

[Gavin de Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-de-becker/)

> [“When I was in college, a teacher once said that all women live by a ‘rape schedule.’ I was baffled by the term, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/when-i-was-in-college-a-teacher-once-said-that-all-women-live-by-a/)

[Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/)

> [... no compelling data to support its anachronistic social Darwinism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/no-compelling-data-to-support-its-anachronistic-social-darwinism/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [“Each of us, I think, adopts a comfortable and familiar era or place in which to plant ourselves; and from then on, that which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-victor/each-of-us-i-think-adopts-a-comfortable-and-familiar-era-or-place-in/)

[Daniel D. Victor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-victor/)

> [ In some senses, I think it's almost deliberately anachronistic. There's a retro feel to the \[Donald\] Trump program. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/in-some-senses-i-think-it-s-almost-deliberately-anachronistic-there-s/)

[Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/)

> [“Apparently, using two spaces after a period has become anachronistic. But tell that to my right thumb. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/apparently-using-two-spaces-after-a-period-has-become-anachronistic/)

[Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/)

> [To me the seventies represent normality, and, of course, it is a normality that is now anachronistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/to-me-the-seventies-represent-normality-and-of-course-it-is-a/)

[Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/)

> [“The coding was anachronistic, kind of like bokeh in a renaissance painting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-suciu/the-coding-was-anachronistic-kind-of-like-bokeh-in-a-renaissance/)

[Sorin Suciu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-suciu/)

> [One already feels like an anachronism, writing novels in the age of what-ever-this-is-the-age-of, but touring to promote them feels doubly anachronistic. The marketplace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/one-already-feels-like-an-anachronism-writing-novels-in-the-age-of/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [Tout ce qui est anachronique est obsce' ne. Everything anachronistic is obscene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/tout-ce-qui-est-anachronique-est-obsce-ne-everything-anachronistic-is/)

[Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/)

> [All the spookiness comes from giving a contemporary anachronistic sense to terms whose historical meaning is lost to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-c-beiser/all-the-spookiness-comes-from-giving-a-contemporary-anachronistic/)

[Frederick C. Beiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-c-beiser/)

> [ “...the character's failure to move with the times leads to death, suggesting the anachronistic nature of this \[hyper/stereotypical\] type of masculinity.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorna-jowett/the-character-s-failure-to-move-with-the-times-leads-to-death/)

[Lorna Jowett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorna-jowett/)

> [To me, traditional approaches to doing photography and thinking about photography feel increasingly anachronistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/to-me-traditional-approaches-to-doing-photography-and-thinking-about/)

[Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/)

> [I know in this time of great technological advancement, the idea of reading a book seems almost anachronistic, but I think it's worth preserving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/i-know-in-this-time-of-great-technological-advancement-the-idea-of/)

[Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/)

> [You're anachronistic when you know that your feelings aren't going to have any effect on anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/you-re-anachronistic-when-you-know-that-your-feelings-aren-t-going-to/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

## More by Phyllis Chesler

> [Only the powerless live in a money culture and know nothing about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/only-the-powerless-live-in-a-money-culture-and-know-nothing-about/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Ideal mental health, like freedom, exists for one person only if it exists for all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/ideal-mental-health-like-freedom-exists-for-one-person-only-if-it/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [If it were natural for father to care for their sons, they would not need so many laws commanding them to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/if-it-were-natural-for-father-to-care-for-their-sons-they-would-not/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [“It is impossible for a Westerner to imagine the deadening torpor of a protected life under house arrest. Eventually, one is grateful for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/it-is-impossible-for-a-westerner-to-imagine-the-deadening-torpor-of-a/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [“The idea that women's strong attachments to each other are what make them so vulnerable is horrifying. I count my close friendships with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/the-idea-that-women-s-strong-attachments-to-each-other-are-what-make/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [All men are not rapists - but almost all rapists are men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/all-men-are-not-rapists-but-almost-all-rapists-are-men/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Should or can there be a single standard of behavior for both sexes? Is there such a thing as a biologically rooted female culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/should-or-can-there-be-a-single-standard-of-behavior-for-both-sexes/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Perhaps only some young women, perhaps only a minority of all women, will be able to effect such changes through consciousness alone, through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/perhaps-only-some-young-women-perhaps-only-a-minority-of-all-women/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [“Encountering gender apartheid and waged slavery shook me to my roots more than half a century ago in Afghanistan. Oh, the women of Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/encountering-gender-apartheid-and-waged-slavery-shook-me-to-my-roots/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [children need truly evolved people - not other, larger children - as parents. Therefore, don't have a child until you've forged your own identity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/children-need-truly-evolved-people-not-other-larger-children-as/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [“The chowdry, or burqa -- the Saudi, North African, and Central Asian version of the head, face, and body shroud -- is a sensory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/the-chowdry-or-burqa-the-saudi-north-african-and-central-asian/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Most mother-women give up whatever ghost of a unique and human self they may have when they 'marry' and raise children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/most-mother-women-give-up-whatever-ghost-of-a-unique-and-human-self/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [“That these girls avoid use of physical violence in resolving conflict, does not mean that these conflicts are resolved in meaningful and enduring ways.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/that-these-girls-avoid-use-of-physical-violence-in-resolving-conflict/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Goddesses never die. They slip in and out of the world's cities, in and out of our dreams, century after century, answering to different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/goddesses-never-die-they-slip-in-and-out-of-the-world-s-cities-in-and/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

> [Women ... do not have to forsake the "wisdom of the heart" and become men. They need only transfer the primary force of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/women-do-not-have-to-forsake-the-wisdom-of-the-heart-and-become-men/)

[Phyllis Chesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

[Explore all 39 Phyllis Chesler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/)

## More Feminism quotes

> [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/)

[Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/)

[Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/)

> [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/)

> [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/)

[Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/)

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“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/)

> [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/)

[Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/)

> [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/)

[Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/)

> [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/)

[Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/)

> [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/)

> [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

[Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/)

[Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“For women not to fear rape because we can successfully defend ourselves against it is not anachronistic but revolutionary. For women to be considered as potential warriors (in every sense of the word, including its physical representation) is not anachronistic but revolutionary. If realized, it might imply a radical change in modern life.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Phyllis Chesler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-can-successfully-defend/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Feminism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-can-successfully-defend/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/495/phyllis-chesler-16740_feminism_for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-ca_3152374.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For women not to fear rape because we can successfully defend ourselves against it is not anachronistic but…” — Phyllis Chesler",
                "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": "Phyllis Chesler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-chesler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“For women not to fear rape...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-can-successfully-defend/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-chesler/for-women-not-to-fear-rape-because-we-can-successfully-defend/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
