It's the second time I read this book, first time was... decades ago!
Here's a passage I particulary liked:
"Of the many questions that have often bothered me is why women have been, and still are, thought to be so inferior to men. It's easy to say it's unfair, but that's not enough for me; I'd really
like to know the reason for this great injustice! Men presumably dominated women from the very beginning because of their greater physical strength; it's men who earn a living, beget children and
do as they please… Until recently, women silently went along with this, which was stupid, since the longer it's kept up, the more deeply entrenched it becomes. Fortunately, education, work and
progress have opened women's eyes. In many countries they've been granted equal rights; many people, mainly women, but also men, now realize how wrong it was to tolerate this state of affairs for
so long. Modern women want the right to be completely independent! But that's not all. Women should be respected as well! Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts ofthe
world, so why shouldn't women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women
too as soldiers? In the book Soldiers on the Home Front I was greatly struck by the fact that in childbirth alone, women commonly suffer more pain, illness and misery than any war hero ever does.
And what's her reward for enduring all that pain? She gets pushed aside when she's disfigured by birth, her children soon leave, her beauty is gone. Women, who struggle and suffer pain to ensure
the continuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together! I don't mean to imply that women should stop
having children; on the contrary, nature intended them to, and that's the way it should be. What I condemn are our system of values and the men who don't acknowledge how great, difficult, but
ultimately beautiful women's share in society is. I agree completely with Paul de Kruif, the author of this book, when he says that men must learn that birth is no longer thought of as inevitable
and unavoidable in those parts of the world we consider civilized. It's easy for men to talk ― they don't and never will have to bear the woes that women do! I believe that in the course of the
next century the notion that it's a woman's duty to have children will change and make way for the respect and admiration of all women, who bear their burdens without complaint or a lot of
pompous words!"
Anne Frank, what a loss for women, what a loss for humanity!
The future is female,
Gabrielle Dubois©
Book
recommendation