Mary Wollstonecraft – ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’

Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience; but, as blind obedience is ever sought for by power, tyrants and sensualists are in the right when they endeavour to keep women in the dark, because the former only want slaves, and the latter a play-thing.

We cannot discuss International Women’s Day without mentioning a quote from Mary Wollstonecraft, writer of The Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Ashanti said: “Wollstonecraft pushes for the education of women, and simply argues that women can’t demonstrate their full potential if they aren’t allowed to stretch their minds in the same way men were able to.

“This fight for equality in education cleverly threatens the male ego and masculinity as she sets up a challenge – women will not be so ‘obedient’ if they are able to see they aren’t choosing they’re enclosed lifestyles, it is forced upon them by their lack of education.

“Now we see female scientists such as Katalin Karikó – one of the minds behind the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, or Margaret Hamilton, the female computer scientist who worked on the Apollo program which eventually landed the first humans on the moon.

“Women like Wollstonecraft would be very proud indeed!”

Maya Angelou – Still I Rise

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Still I Rise is an iconic feminist poem, and who hasn’t heard of Maya Angelou?

Ashanti said: “This one still makes the hairs on my arms stand on end. If we’re getting into inspirational women, this is definitely a woman that should always get a mention.

“Still I rise is inclusive of every kind of woman there is in the world; black, white, Asian, brown, LGBTQ+, mother, daughter, sister, friend.

“She speaks of, and to, the power in the soul of every woman who always gets back up after being knocked down and still, they rise!

“But also, this stanza specifically, demonstrates that there is a power in living – for anyone who is facing hardship in any way.

“The poem is so good, choosing just one stanza did not do it complete justice, so please take a look at the poem in full.”

Source: | This article originally belongs to Express.co.uk