Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Interpretation
Women must work harder than men to be recognized as equals in capability.
This quote suggests that women face a higher standard of expectation in their accomplishments compared to men, as society often undervalues their contributions. However, it also implies that once women manage to meet or exceed these standards, their achievements shine all the brighter in overcoming societal biases.
In practice
In a discussion on women's rights during a conference.
I am not one of those who believe - broadly speaking - that women are better than men. We have not wrecked railroads, nor corrupted legislatures, nor done many unholy things that men have done; but then we must remember that we have not had the chance.
I do not think that the lives of women of my generation, as a class, were blighted by the way the power differentials between men and women operated. We wanted to change those power differentials; we also had a good time.
Girls are 50% of the population. We deserve to represent 50% of the heroes.
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.
Why must women stay quietly? Why must we be little moons, each of us stuck in our little orbit, revolving around a planet that is some man? Why can't we be other planets? Why must we be moons?
In many parts of the world, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. But I think we need women to solve the problems that men create.
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