What makes revolutionary thought unique is its clarity and dignity, and its clear grasp of freedom and justice: simple, clear words that are understood without the need for any help from elite writers or thinkers.
Nawal El SaadawiRead
Yet not for a single moment did I have any doubts about my own integrity and honour as a woman. I knew that my profession had been invented by men, and that men were in control of both our worlds, the one on earth, and the one in heaven. That men force women to sell their bodies at a price, and that the lowest paid body is that of a wife. All women are prostitutes of one kind or another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques societal norms regarding women's roles and integrity, emphasizing the constraints placed on women by a male-dominated society.
Nawal El Saadawi highlights the struggle for integrity and honor in a society where women are largely defined by patriarchal standards. She asserts that the profession of women is influenced and controlled by men, suggesting that all women, regardless of their social status, are subjected to commodification, ultimately questioning the true nature of autonomy and self-worth in a restrictive societal framework.
Themes
IntegrityHonorPatriarchyWomenSocietyCommodification
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about women's rights to emphasize the need for societal change.
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When you have increasing power of religious groups, oppression of women increases. Women are oppressed in all religions.
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My skin is soft, but my heart is cruel, and my bite is deadly.
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Interviewer: What would you say to a woman in this country who assumes she is no longer oppressed, who believes women's liberation has been achieved? el Saadawi: Well I would think she is blind. Like many people who are blind to gender problems, to class problems, to international problems. She's blind to what's happening to her.
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The family code in Egypt is one of the worst family codes in the Arab world. Polygamy. The husband is having absolute power over the family.
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