Penicillin and plastic bags help a lot, fridges and hot water make manliness more comfortable and Tom Ford's fragrance range makes it smell better, but the idea that has pushed our lives into the light more than any other -ism or -ology is feminism.
A. A. Gill
It is the woman - nearly always - in spite of all the advances of modern feminism, who still takes responsibility for the bulk of the chores, as well as doing her paid job. This is true even in households where men try to be unselfish and to do their share.
A. N. Wilson
Feminism is sort of like God. Many people profess to believe in it, but no one seems to be able to define it to everyone's satisfaction.
Aaron Allston
Really, feminism is just about equality, and that's all. It's just saying equal rights.
Abi Morgan
I understand this fear of the word 'feminism,' and I understand the fear of saying it because it becomes as divisive as 'sexism' has become. But I know a lot of male feminists.
Feminism isn't just for women. It's for men.
Having a daughter has reawakened my sense of feminism. I want to protect her.
I think feminism is the worst thing that ever happened to women. Our job used to be no job. We had it so good!
Ali Wong
My definition of feminism is a social, political, economic system by which all genders are valued, respected, and can live dignified lives.
Alicia Garza
My kids see feminism in action every day, and leading by imperfect example is how I'm raising them.
Amanda de Cadenet
People get really turned off by feminism.
Amy Schumer
I don't think we really think about where we get our equality from. There is a sense of feminism and women become passe, in my opinion.
Anastasia Griffith
Feminism is hated because women are hated. Anti-feminism is a direct expression of misogyny; it is the political defense of women hating.
Andrea Dworkin
The rise of women and feminism is well documented. What is equally fascinating - and less talked about - is the impact this has had on men.
Andy Dunn
I never felt the need for feminism. I never felt competition with men, which I really believed started the movement.
Angie Dickinson
My idea of feminism is self-determination, and it's very open-ended: every woman has the right to become herself, and do whatever she needs to do.
Ani DiFranco
A lot of women these days, a lot of young women don't want to call themselves feminists. You have this cheap, hideous 'girl power' sort of fad, which I think is pretty benign at best, but at worst, I think it's a way of taking the politics out of feminism and making it some kind of fashion.
Feminism is not only for women It's something everyone can participate in, and evolve together, as the first step in the right direction. I see feminism as a tool to achieve that balance and peace.
I actually have a peculiar feminism that does not involve the idea that women shouldn't be sexy. Female characters written in comics have always been pretty damned sexy, and used their sexuality. And I don't have any problem with that.
Ann Nocenti
I believe that it is our human right to be parents and women. And there's no contradiction between feminism, which means women should have all that they are entitled to, all that they can do, all the opportunities that they can take advantage of they should have.
Anne Roiphe
Why are we not valuing the word 'feminism' when there is so much work to be done in terms of empowerment and emancipation of women everywhere?
I'm appalled the word feminism has been denigrated to a place of almost ridicule and I very passionately believe the word needs to be revalued and reintroduced with power and understanding that this is a global picture.
I would like to see the gay population get on board with feminism. It's a beautiful organisation and they've done so much. It seems to me a no-brainer.
Feminism is a word that I identify with. The term has become synonymous with vitriolic man-hating but it needs to come back to a place where both men and women can embrace it. It is particularly important for women in developing countries.
We all fight over what the label 'feminism' means but for me it's about empowerment. It's not about being more powerful than men - it's about having equal rights with protection, support, justice. It's about very basic things. It's not a badge like a fashion item.
Men need to understand, and women too, what feminism is really about.
I've thought about what is an alternative word to feminism. There isn't one. It's a perfectly good word. And it can't be changed.
I don't think feminism is about the exclusion of men but their inclusion... we must face and address those issues, especially to include younger men and boys.
Women's issues have always been a part of my life. My goal is to bring the word 'feminism' back into the zeitgeist and reframe it.
The word feminism needs to be taken back. It needs to be reclaimed in a way that is inclusive of men.
Feminism isn't about curating or policing the boundaries of womanhood.
I feel like as a teenager making music, I had a lot of internalised misogyny, a need to be one of the boys, and a lot of self-hatred. As I discovered what feminism is and what it meant to me, it definitely took a hold of my life in a big way.
I was very much a child of Tumblr. I did a lot of my personal education into what intersectional feminism is on Tumblr. The Internet is a great tool for children who are raised in very narrow-minded towns.
I get so many questions in interviews about feminism, and I think the second you start separating femininity and masculinity and giving one more power than the other, that's like - everyone is a person.
One of the greatest gifts of Black feminism to ourselves has been to make it a little easier simply to be Black and female.
I believe that the 'believe all women' vision of feminism unintentionally fetishizes women. Women are no longer human and flawed. They are Truth personified. They are above reproach.
Whenever women struggle with breast cancer and face better care than ever, that's feminism.
I've written 18 books, mostly dealing with issues of social justice, ending racism, feminism, and cultural criticism.
Feminism - the word - can give us a handle, a rallying point, a common ground, and help us build a bridge. Why not claim the gift of the word as a place to begin?
It was critical to finding a way out. I had assumed young women knew the history of feminism and must have felt gratitude to the movement for the opportunities that the work we have done has afforded them.
The word, and the concept of feminism, was a gift because it gave me a sense of identity and a way of defining how I wished to live my life.
Everyone thinks of the roaring twenties and associates it with decadence and flappers, female sexual liberation, the freedom of women to express themselves, the beginning of feminism. But it was also a time of huge, huge change.
I'm feeling in the earth a massive shift, in especially female consciousness, that is... slightly different than feminism. It feels like this mass reexamination of the stories we're being told.
I think that instead of feminism being a political thing, it should be an act of creativity. It's more of a rock n' roll thing.
I see feminism as a massive party. It's cool, the idea that 50% of the population can now start doing things and having fun and experimenting with their hair and makeup.
We think of feminism as an academic subject, but it's not. If you think feminism is academic, you think there's a right or wrong.
Feminism means something - legislation, cultural change - but 'Girl Power' meant nothing more than being friends with your friends.
Feminism, as it stands, well... stands. It has ground to a halt.
What is feminism? Simply the belief that women should be as free as men, however nuts, dim, deluded, badly dressed, fat, receding, lazy, and smug they might be.
Flyaway, problem hair is the enemy of feminism, and was probably invented by the Man to crush Susan Sontag.