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
Our struggle today is not to have a female Einstein get appointed as an assistant professor. It is for a woman schlemiel to get as quickly promoted as a male schlemiel.
In the face of so much pain, I remain an incurable optimist. I am fueled by the passion of the women I have been privileged to meet and work with, buoyed by their hope for peace, justice, and democracy.
They used to give us a day-it was called International Women's Day. In 1975 they gave us a year, the Year of the Woman. Then from 1975 to 1985 they gave us a decade, the Decade of the Woman. I said at the time, who knows, if we behave they may let us into the whole thing. Well, we didn't behave and here we are.
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.
Imperfect though it may be, the Beijing Platform for Action is the strongest statement of consensus on women's equality, empowerment and justice ever produced by governments.
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.