Bella Abzug
Bella Abzug
Bella Savitsky Abzug, nicknamed "Battling Bella", was an American lawyer, U.S. Representative, social activist and a leader of the Women's Movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan to found the National Women's Political Caucus. She declared, "This woman's place is in the House—the House of Representatives", in her successful 1970 campaign. She was later appointed to chair the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year and to plan the 1977...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth24 July 1920
CountryUnited States of America
Never go back, never apologize, and never forget we're half the human race.
Women will not simply be mainstreamed into the polluted stream. Women are changing the stream, making it clean and green and safe for all - every gender, race, creed, sexual orientation, age, and ability.
I've been described as a tough and noisy woman, a prize fighter, a man-hater, you name it. They call me Battling Bella, Mother Courage, and a Jewish mother with more complaints than Portnoy. There are those who say I'm impatient, impetuous, uppity, rude, profane, brash, and overbearing. Whether I'm any of those things, or all of them, you can decide for yourself. But whatever I am -- and this ought to be made very clear -- I am a very serious woman.
I prefer the word 'homemaker' because 'housewife' always implies that there may be a wife someplace else.
We are bringing women into politics to change the nature of politics, to change the vision, to change the institutions. Women are not wedded to the policies of the past. We didn't craft them. They didn't let us.
All of the men on my staff can type.
A woman's place is in the house - the House of Representatives.
Our struggle was political, ideological and economic, and we felt we couldn't make something of ourselves unless we bettered society. We saw the two together.
We are affirming human rights for all women and girls, acknowledging the full range of diversity that exists, and detailing actions to prevent violence.
When I first became a lawyer, only 2% of the bar was women. People would always think I was a secretary. In those days, professional women in the business world wore hats. So I started wearing hats.
I spend all day figuring out how to beat the machine and knock the crap out of the political power structure.
As women, we know that we must always find ways to change the process because the present institutions want to hold on to power and keep the status quo.
Working women wore hats. It was the only way they would take you seriously.
I'm a politician. I run for office. That's my profession.