“I don’t want women to have power over men, but over themselves.” — Mary Wollstonecraft.
Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, Wollstonecraft’s quote reminds us that while external barriers to equality are essential to remove, the internal path to self-empowerment is just as important.
Mary Wollstonecraft was a courageous advocate for women’s rights, often considered the mother of feminism.
With this simple yet powerful quote, she encourages readers to foster an environment where girls and women are encouraged to reach their full potential, to trust their own voices, follow their passions, and lead lives defined by their own aspirations, not external expectations.
Wollstonecraft’s vision of women not as subjects of men but as masters of their own lives continues to inspire generations to push for education, demand equal opportunity, and cultivate the inner strength necessary for every woman to truly rule herself.
What does the quote mean?
With this quote, Wollstonecraft made it clear that the pursuit of gender equality is not a zero-sum game, nor is it about reversing patriarchal power structures to create a matriarchy.
Instead, she said, it was a focus on self-sovereignty, on the innate right of every woman to determine her own destiny, cultivate her own intellect, and shape her own moral compass, free from the dictates or prejudices of others.
Wollstonecraft used “power over oneself” to mean intellectual autonomy—the freedom to think, reason, and learn without social constraints.
The origin of the quote
Mary Wollstonecraft wrote this powerful line in her seminal work “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1792). The book was seen as a direct challenge to the previously prevailing notion that women were inherently inferior to men.
She passionately argued that the perceived weaknesses and shallowness of women were not caused by nature, but by nurture, specifically a lack of proper education.
She argued that women, given the same educational opportunities as men, would prove themselves equally capable of reason, virtue, and contribution to society.
Her advocacy of a comprehensive, rational education for girls was not just about academic achievement; was the cornerstone of her vision to empower women and empower them to become fully functioning and self-sufficient citizens.
Who is Mary Wollstonecraft?
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was a pioneering English philosopher and writer, widely regarded as a seminal figure in modern feminism. She advocated a social order based on reason and equality.
Mary Wollstonecraft was the mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.
Shelley was born just days before Wollstonecraft tragically died of complications during childbirth, so Shelley was deeply influenced by her mother’s radical intellectual legacy.
Why do we celebrate Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day is a day dedicated to honoring the achievements of women and promoting gender equality.
The day not only celebrates the progress women have made over the years, but is also a call to action that is still needed to achieve parity that is more relevant today, such as the pay gap.
The history of International Women’s Day dates back to the early 20th century, specifically the 1908 New York march in which 15,000 women demanded better pay and voting rights.
Officially proposed by Clara Zetkin in 1910, International Women’s Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977.
The specific date of March 8 was fixed in 1917 by the strike of Russian women for “bread and peace”.
