Ruth Bader Ginsberg was an American lawyer and jurist and also one of the known feminists. She served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, of the United States. Her work span was from 1993 to 2020 (till her death).
Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, Bader became the second female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She led the Project of the American Civil Liberties Union during the 1970s, being the director of the Women’s Rights Project.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg did not go to college due to a lack of money. In place of that, she worked in a garment factory to earn wages. She spent all of her earnings on her brother’s higher education in college.
She not only resisted herself in a single or particular job. Instead, she upgraded herself till her lifetime and also added great value to society. Along with being a lawyer, Bader was also a well-known feminist.
As a feminist, she selflessly devoted her time to the development and rights of women. This article on ‘25 Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes That Makes Every Woman Feel Powerful’ will list some of the Best Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes on women and Feminism. The Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes will make you think very deeply and are very heart-touching as well.
Following are the list of some of the Best Ruth Ginsberg Quotes which you must have a look on:
1) I don’t say women’s rights - I say the constitutional principle of the equal citizenship stature of men and women.
This one from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes tells that women do not demand any special rights. They want equal rights that men have. Thus, they want equality.
2) My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent. The study of law was unusual for women of my generation. For most girls growing up in the ‘40s, the most important degree was not your B.A., but your M.R.S.
Lady refers to a woman with a good position in society. Being independent means you do not have to seek permission from others to follow your dreams and desires. Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here refers to the woman consisting of both the things in her. That thing will give them the respect they deserve.
3) Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.
Sharing responsibility and working together is a step towards growth. In order to bring up the next generation, both men and women should work together, instead of blaming each other.
4) Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
Fighting alone might not benefit you that much. Fighting for something in a group can give you positive results towards your goal. You should inspire others to join you with your work.
5) If you’re a boy and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that’s OK. We should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be, and not be held back by artificial barriers.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tells about the mentality society has made based on gender type choices. It is alright if a boy is interested in teaching, nursing, or having a doll. That thing does not make him different from other boys. It is just a matter of interest.
6) I didn’t change the constitution; the equality principle was there from the start. I just was an advocate for seeing its full realization.
In this one from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes, the message conveying is based on the equality principle of the constitution. It is crystal clear mentioned in the constitution that both genders have equal rights, still, we are the ones who do not understand this.
7) Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.
Whenever any important decision is going to be taken, the presence of women is a must. Without women, the chances are high that the decisions made may lead to a downfall in the future.
8) Feminism - I think the simplest explanation, and one that captures the idea, is a song that Marlo Thomas sang, ‘Free to be You and Me.’ Free to be, if you were a girl - doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Anything you want to be.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tell about the true meaning of feminism. A woman should not be restricted only to household work or low-paying jobs. She has the right to follow her dreams and achieve whatever she wants. She is free to choose the right profession for herself.
9) The enormous difference between fighting gender discrimination as opposed to race discrimination is good people immediately perceive race discrimination as evil and intolerable. But when I talked about sex-based discrimination, I got the response, ‘What are you talking about? Women are treated ever so much better than men!’
Gender discrimination and Race discrimination both are villains of society. But when it comes to the opinions of the individuals on both of the discriminations, the answers they gave are contrary. Everyone accepts Race discrimination as evil, but when it comes to gender-based discrimination, their opinions differ. That is where we are lacking behind.
10) The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. It’s a decision she must make for herself.
The decision of giving birth is a decision of the woman. This one from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes says that we should not put our opinions when it comes to a child.
11) The greatest statement of equality is in the Declaration of Independence, written by a slaveholder.
As per the slaveholder, equality comes after Independence. But that is not the reality. Even today, one cannot say equality exists, especially gender equality.
12) It’s an unconscious bias, It’s the expectation. You have a lowered expectation when you hear a woman speaking. I think that still goes on. That instinctively when a man speaks, he will be listened to, where people will not expect the woman to say anything of value. But all of the women in my generation have had, time and again, that experience where you say something at a meeting, and nobody makes anything of it. And maybe half an hour later, a man makes the identical point, and people react to it and say, ‘Good Idea.’ That, I think, is a problem that persists.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tells about one of the most common biases which society has put in our head. It is the bias of expectation. Whenever a man speaks, we pay more attention to him. Conversely, whenever a woman comes up, we do not value her words and often underestimate them as well. This is what is resisting us from development.
13) Reliance on overbroad generalizations…estimates about the way most men or most women are, will not suffice to deny opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description.
Sometimes women are much more talented and deserving than they seem to be. Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tells that counting those women in the average category might not benefit society.
14) The words of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause - ‘nor shall any state deny to any person the equal protection of the laws.’ Well that word, ‘any person,’ covers women as well as men. And the Supreme Court woke up to that reality in 1971.
According to the 14th Amendments' equal protection clause given in 1971, the equal protection law consists of both women and men. Although the law was given in 1971, we as a society failed to understand the value of women.
15) I always thought that there was nothing an antifeminist would want more than to have women only in women’s organizations, in their own little corner empathizing with each other and not touching a man’s world. If you’re going to change things, you have to be with the people who hold the levers.
You cannot differentiate the worlds of men and women, both are interlinked. This one from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes tells that separating women from the world of men will bring nothing other than destruction.
16) A gender line helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.
The work of the gender line is to empower women and give them a base to stand. If it does not mean they should be caged by the men.
17) I remember envying the boys long before I even knew the word ‘feminism’ because I liked shopping better than cooking or sewing.
The feeling of envy is not the by-product of feminism. It comes from the time when an individual’s brain does not even get developed. Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here that one should never make choices based on gender.
18) Indeed, in my lifetime, I expect to see three, four, perhaps even more women on the High Court Bench, women now shaped from the same mold, but of different complexions.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tells about the equality that Ruth Bader wants in society. She wanted women to stand with men in every area, instead of standing behind them and following their wishes.
19) For both men and women the first step in getting power is to become visible to others, and then to put on an impressive show…As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.
In order to succeed in any field, one must have to come up and take the initiative. Women must come up and lead from the front. Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here tells that when a woman takes responsibility and achieves power, the barriers cannot harm her anyways. In addition, the other women see them as role models.
20) If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.
Having a loving and supporting life-partner plays a vital role in any relationship. Both the personal and professional life of an individual depends on who your life partner is.
21) I just try to do the good job that I have to the best of my ability, and I really don’t think about whether I’m inspirational. I just do the best I can.
Sometimes, instead of focusing on others, you just have to keep working. You should give your best every time, irrespective of the situations or hurdles you are going through.
22) I try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, the colour of their skin, whether they’re men or women.
This one from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes is an eye-opener to society. As a society, we often judge people based on their outer look, and that is what is stopping us from evolving. One should judge others based on their words and opinions.
23) I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here describe the personality of Ruth Bader herself. She always wanted to contribute to good values in society, and she succeeded in it as well.
24) The side that wants to take the choice away from women and give it to the state, they’re fighting a losing battle. Time is on the side of change.
If you have a woman on your side, that means you already have the upper hand. Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes here explain that time has changed. Now, the more the women are on your side, the more advantage you will get.
25) I do think that I was born under a very bright star. Because if you think about my life, I get out of law school. I have top grades. No law firm in the city of New Your will hire me. I end up teaching; it gave me time to devote to the movement for evening out the rights of women and men.
This quote from Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes is especially for those who believe that she was fortunate enough in her life. But she reveals that nothing happened up to her expectations, still, she worked hard for the sake of innocents.
These were the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes That Make Every Woman Powerful. She was not the lady who just passed her comments or opinions on anyone. She was the one who took an initiative and gave her contributions to promote women in every aspect, whether it's their personal or professional lives.
Irrespective of any specific gender, the listed Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes are for everyone. For both genders, Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes consist of some messages. If you are a man, you have no right to disrespect or cage any woman for your own sake. If you are a woman, you have to fight for what you love and pursue your ambitions.
These were all about some of the Best and most Powerful Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes that you might have enjoyed reading. I am also hoping that you might get inspired reading the Ruth Bader Ginsberg Quotes. That is all for now, see you next time.