The view that women are infantile and emotional creatures, and as such, incapable of responsibility and independence is the work of the masculine tendency to lower women's self-respect.
Karen HorneyRead
I want a future where women and girls get to be the subject of their own sexuality, not the object of somebody else’s. That we are the main characters in our own play, not props in somebody else’s—which is how women’s sexuality is treated now. Whatever the outside attitudes about sexuality it’s always about somebody’s agenda for us, and I want a world where we can have our own.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of women and girls defining their own sexuality rather than being objectified by societal expectations.
Jaclyn Friedman advocates for a future where women and girls are empowered to own and express their sexuality on their own terms. Currently, societal representations and narratives often reduce women to mere objects within others' agendas, which undermines their autonomy and agency. This quote calls for a transformation in perspectives so that women can be the protagonists of their own lives and sexuality, free from external controls and judgments.
Themes
WomenSexualityEmpowermentAutonomyAgency
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about gender equality, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of women's empowerment.
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