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Patricia Ireland Quotes

Powerful Patricia Ireland for Daily Growth

About Patricia Ireland

Patricia Ireland (born March 18, 1946) is an American feminist leader, attorney, and author who has significantly influenced the women's rights movement in the United States. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Ireland earned her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and went on to receive her law degree from Columbia Law School. Early in her career, Ireland worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan before transitioning into advocacy work. In 1973, she became the founding executive director of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), a groundbreaking organization dedicated to increasing women's representation in politics. Ireland's most prominent role came when she was appointed as the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1991, serving until 2001. During her tenure, Ireland focused on issues such as reproductive rights, violence against women, and workplace equality. She played a key role in organizing the March for Women's Lives in 1992, which was the largest pro-choice demonstration in U.S. history. As an author, Ireland has written numerous articles and books on feminism and women's issues. Her most notable work is "The Shereveport Diaries" (1987), a collection of essays that chronicles her experiences as a young mother navigating the patriarchal legal system. Ireland's influence extends beyond her professional roles. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the National Association of Women Judges' Trailblazer Award and the Feminist Press's First Amendment Award. Today, Ireland continues to advocate for women's rights as a speaker, commentator, and advisor on gender equity issues.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Feminism is the theory, the politics, and the law that all women are people."

This quote by Patricia Ireland emphasizes that feminism seeks to establish and uphold the fundamental human rights and equal treatment of all women, recognizing them as individuals with personhood and agency. It implies that feminist principles strive for a society where laws, politics, and social attitudes reflect this understanding, ensuring the full humanity and dignity of every woman.

"Women's rights are an essential cornerstone of human rights and human dignity."

This quote emphasizes that women's rights, much like any other human rights, are fundamental to upholding the inherent dignity and worth of all members of the human family. It underscores the belief that women deserve equal protection, recognition, and opportunity in every aspect of society, as a cornerstone for a just and equitable world.

"The personal is political. Feminism as a social movement has always been about expanding the definition of 'politics.'"

This quote emphasizes that private, individual issues, particularly those concerning gender, are not separate from the broader public sphere and politics. Feminism, as a social movement, aims to redefine what constitutes political action or discourse. It suggests that personal experiences, struggles, and perspectives related to gender can inform and impact policy-making, societal norms, and power dynamics – thereby making them inherently political in nature. This perspective encourages individuals to recognize and assert their rights, demanding change not just within their personal lives but also in the broader political landscape.

"Women need to understand their own power, and when they do, they will step out from behind the mask of victimization and say, 'I am a human being, I have a right to be here, I have a right to speak my mind, and I will not allow you to dominate or control me.'"

This quote by Patricia Ireland emphasizes the importance of self-empowerment for women. It encourages women to recognize their inherent value, worth, and power as human beings, rather than perpetuating a victimized mindset. By embracing this understanding, women are encouraged to assert themselves, express their opinions freely, and refuse to be dominated or controlled by others. In essence, the quote underscores the essential need for women to claim their agency, autonomy, and self-worth in society.

"The best way to ensure that women's voices are heard is to put more women in positions of power."

This quote suggests that for women's perspectives and ideas to be fully considered, valued, and implemented, it is crucial to have a significant number of women in leadership roles. This implies promoting gender equality and diversity in decision-making positions across various fields, as this increases the likelihood of a wide range of viewpoints being heard and addressed. It underscores the importance of representation for ensuring that all voices are valued equally in our society.

Women are called upon to defend every bit of progress we have made against particularly virulent attack. But we must also hold out a vision, put forth a positive agenda of what women need and want and then move forward toward that dream.

- Patricia Ireland

Against, Bit, Put, Move Forward

I know that Bush, for political reasons, is going to nominate a minority, a Hispanic man or someone where it will be harder for people on the progressive side to oppose and split some of the traditionally progressive or democratic constituents.

- Patricia Ireland

Some, Side, Reasons, Progressive

Bush's choice of Dick Cheney as his running mate is clear confirmation of the policies he would promote and the nominations he would make to an already closely divided U.S. Supreme Court.

- Patricia Ireland

Closely, Bush, Dick Cheney, Confirmation

Some campaigns are not worth waging if you can't win; others have to be fought on grounds of principle regardless of the chances for success.

- Patricia Ireland

Chance, Some, Principle, Chances

The opposition has moved from a blaming the victim to blaming the victim's advocate's statistics. Irrespective of what the numbers are, it's far too many.

- Patricia Ireland

Numbers, Advocate, Moved, Blaming

I want to reach young women and to get them involved in the mission of the YWCA, economic empowerment of women and girls, and ending racism.

- Patricia Ireland

Racism, Young, Young Women, Women And Girls

When I started law school I was shocked to learn that our legal system traditionally had the man as the head and master of the family. As late as the '70s and '80s when we were fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment, states like Louisiana still had a head and master law.

- Patricia Ireland

Fighting, Amendment, Had, Legal System

They plan to ride into the White House on the Sweet Talk Express. Well, think again. Bush and Cheney are not compassionate conservatives. They are ruthless reactionaries.

- Patricia Ireland

Think, Again, Bush, Cheney

And of course we are familiar with the English common law rule of thumb that said a man could in fact use a stick no bigger than his thumb to discipline his wife and family.

- Patricia Ireland

Law, Fact, Thumb, Common Law

I've talked to law enforcement officials at the state and local level who say that violence against women is going up. In any case, we think that it's an important issue whether it's going up or not. And we are determined to stop it.

- Patricia Ireland

Against, Local, Whether, Local Level

The Violence Against Women Act is so important. It provides money to train the cop on the beat, to train the judges that this is a new day, that we won't tolerate this violence and to know how to deal with it.

- Patricia Ireland

New, Deal, A New Day, Tolerate

Advice and consent does not mean rubber stamp in the Senate.

- Patricia Ireland

Advice, Mean, Does, Rubber Stamp

In any grass-roots campaign, building an ongoing base of support is as important as winning the ultimate goal.

- Patricia Ireland

Important, Ultimate Goal, Base

Extremely strong, effective, tenacious, and powerful political networks can be built when you fight losing battles as well as when you win.

- Patricia Ireland

Strong, Political, Built, Battles

I just have that sense this is the reason we got Sandra Day O'Connor on the Court in the first place is because Ronald Reagan was running for President.

- Patricia Ireland

Reason, Sense, Reagan, Sandra

When I hear traditional family values raised, I hear that effort once again to re-establish the man as head and master of his family. Who had the, not only the right, but the obligation to discipline his wife and children to keep them in line?

- Patricia Ireland

Effort, Values, Line, Traditional Family

Violence may be a good focus to organize around, but we have to look at women's lives in our entirety.

- Patricia Ireland

May, Lives, Entirety, Organize

I want to organize so that women see ourselves as people who are entitled to power, entitled to leadership.

- Patricia Ireland

Equality, Want, Entitled, Organize

We have to stop this violence. We have to make the political nature of the violence clear, that the violence we experience in our own homes is not a personal family matter, it's a public and political problem. It's a way that women are kept in line, kept in our places.

- Patricia Ireland

Political, Own, Line, Women Are

Some of us may just, in one-on-one conversations with our family, with our friends, over the back fence with our neighbors, talk about the reality of our lives and realize that we're not alone, that we have a right to be physically safe and emotionally safe in our own homes.

- Patricia Ireland

Own, Some, About, Fence

I have a very personal interest. I am a Miami-Dade voter. One of the issues is that my vote and so many other votes of women and African Americans in Florida are being discounted or discarded. I want my vote to count.

- Patricia Ireland

Other, Very, Discarded, Vote

More than 10,000 ballots in Miami-Dade County have been rejected by some machine without any opportunity for a human being to take a look. That is just not right.

- Patricia Ireland

Some, Human Being, Been, Ballots

Some of those men in power, we just have to change their faces because we're not going to change their minds.

- Patricia Ireland

Minds, Some, Going, Faces

My answer to those who oppose my appointment as CEO is that this is really a decision of the YWCA. They want to strengthen their grassroots to advocate on behalf of women's and children's empowerment and ending racism.

- Patricia Ireland

Decision, Racism, Want, Strengthen

The Young Women's Christian Association is nourished by its roots in Christianity and, at the same time, over the years, it's been enriched by beliefs and values from all kinds of places, even, in fact, strengthened by our diversity.

- Patricia Ireland

Fact, Young, Been, Nourished

There are a lot of people who worked extremely hard in the election who are still organized who know how to do door to door and phone canvassing, who know how to raise money.

- Patricia Ireland

Door, Election, Still, Organized

I know that it isn't just violence against women, it's how do we support ourselves and our families, how do we deal with health care for ourselves and our families? It's a bigger picture.

- Patricia Ireland

Bigger, Deal, Against, Bigger Picture

We may be in a tough time right now, but when we are in a tough time is when our movement gets really strong.

- Patricia Ireland

Strong, Right, May, Tough Time

Stewardesses are still paid so little that in many cases, new hires qualify for food stamps.

- Patricia Ireland

Equality, New, Still, Food Stamps

The way to be a man if you're a little boy is to be willing to throw your weight around.

- Patricia Ireland

Weight, Willing, Be A Man, Throw

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