Women

"Looking back on it, I am not sure what I was expecting. Such cruel and ugly words are used to describe bound feet. I held her naked foot in my hands and was surprised how soft to the touch her feet were. I was also taken aback because in some ways the form of her foot was quite beautiful. I think this also stems from a feeling of empathy that she had gone to such extreme lengths to be considered beautiful, desirable, marriage potential. It really resonated with me and I became even more excited about the project and eager to find more women to tell their stories."

"The truth, no matter how unpalatable, is that foot-binding was experienced, perpetuated and administered by women. Though utterly rejected in China now— the last shoe factory making lotus shoes closed in 1999 —it survived for a thousand years in part because of women’s emotional investment in the practice. The lotus shoe is a reminder that the history of women did not follow a straight line from misery to progress, nor is it merely a scroll of patriarchy writ large. Shangguan, Li and Liang had few peers in Europe in their own time. But with the advent of foot-binding, their spiritual descendants were in the West. Meanwhile, for the next 1,000 years, Chinese women directed their energies and talents toward achieving a three-inch version of physical perfection."

"I came into this project with preconceptions like most people have, that this was a custom only done by the elite who lived lives of luxury in beautifully embroidered shoes, only to discover that this tradition transcended different classes just like any fashion statement. The women in my project all come from rural areas and are typically peasant farmers who have lived through some of the harshest times in China. I have learned so much from hearing their stories and being part of their lives. As a photographer, I am a storyteller and I hope people can have a better understanding of this tradition through looking at my work. It has been an honor to have been part of their lives."

"Certainly the "three-inch golden lotuses" were seen as the ultimate erogenous zone, with Qing dynasty pornographic books listing 48 different ways of playing with women's bound feet."

"Strange to think it was an erotic thing. To us, the smell of rotting flesh would be unbearable. But back then men wrote poems about the rich smell."

"The bandages that women used for footbinding were about 10 feet long, so it was difficult for them to wash their feet. They only washed once every two weeks, so it was very, very stinky. But when I was young I was very free, because when I was naughty my mother couldn't run fast enough with her bound feet to catch me and beat me."

"For one of my pieces on camera, I balanced a pair of embroidered doll shoes in the palm of my hand, as I talked about Lady Huang and the origins of foot-binding. When it was over, I turned to the museum curator who had given me the shoes and made some comment about the silliness of using toy shoes. This was when I was informed that I had been holding the real thing. The miniature “doll” shoes had in fact been worn by a human. The shock of discovery was like being doused with a bucket of freezing water."

"Most people’s immediate reaction is how bad this custom was. I now see it as more of a means to an end. In their society it was the only way forward for women: It would garner them a better future, a better life; in their society it was considered beautiful and then later on it was considered backward. Can you imagine first of all being praised for going to such extreme measures and the torture you went through to be aesthetically pleasing only to be demonized as an adult for complying with standard practices?"

"There's not a single other woman in Liuyicun who could fit their feet into my shoes. When my generation dies, people won't be able to see bound feet, even if they want to."

"It was a foot in name only. The misshapen mass looked more like a hoof bisected by a crack."

"There is growing recognition and action to promote the balanced and meaningful participation of women and men in global security and disarmament processes. Through my position, I will actively support efforts to promote greater diversity of perspectives, equal participation of women and men and give room to innovate. I will also endeavor to bridge the gaps between disarmament policy and emerging fields such as in science and technology"

"As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape international security narratives and paradigms, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Paul Scharre. Paul Scharre is the vice president and director of studies at Center for a New American Security. He is the award-winning author of the book Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. His first book Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War has won several awards and is seen as instrumental in understanding modern warfare."

"“I’m so grateful that the residents of West Haven recognized the importance of this critical role” that their state representative plays, “that they put their confidence in me — and I won’t let them down"

"We have a lot of challenges facing us at both the local and state level, and I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting the job done,”"

"“I became a ‘comfort woman’. I was in a three‑story building in Nanjing that was at the Kinsui‑rou ‘comfort station’. There I was called by the Japanese name ‘Utamaru’. I had to service up to thirty soldiers every day. One day I was really in pain …that bastard officer … held a long knife up against my throat … cut me. The blood poured out … Other ‘comfort women’ who caught diseases and became malnourished were carted out or often dumped into the river to drown. I also saw two Japanese army privates stab a pregnant woman in the belly and kill her. I was there for three years. …”"

"“My name is Won‑ok Gil, and I am one of the 22 surviving victims who were called ‘comfort women.’ When I was 13 years … I was forcibly dragged away by Japan and went through unspeakable pain and suffering, the horrors of which I cannot speak of. … Before I die, I want Japan to reveal the truth, and I also want the Emperor of Japan … to sincerely apologize for the ‘comfort women’ issue.”"

"“I couldn’t come out and speak out when I was young, because of the shame. Shame was the first thing in my mind then. Now I’m older and it’s easier for me … since I’ve overcome those thoughts. But when I was younger, I was ashamed… Wouldn’t you feel the same? The fact that you were taken to the Japanese military and used as a ‘comfort woman’ instead of leading a life as others do. Is it acceptable? No, never! … I kept weeping day and night behind the closed doors. I wept in secret; I had no one to talk to. Because we survived, now the whole world (will know) …”"

"Prof. du Toit has over 230 publications and an h-index of 46 (Scopus). Prof. du Toit is an inventor on 9 granted patents and on several PCT applications filed internationally. Her latest research outputs have established her globally as a leader in nano-enabled and bioresponsive systems for bioactive delivery and tissue regeneration."

"But there is no proof that melanin protects black people from the coronavirus. There is also no scientific evidence that African blood composition prevents Africans from contracting the coronavirus."

"As an emerging female researcher, it is my goal to proudly represent Wits in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In South Africa and Africa as a whole, there is an urgent need to enhance the drug delivery and tissue engineering market."

"We have identified nine misconceptions doing the rounds on social media in Africa and set out to counter them. The purpose of debunking these myths is to provide people with trusted information."

"After finishing a high school degree overseas, I majored in chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle and did undergraduate research in X-ray crystallography with the late Lyle Jensen and protein hydrodynamics with David Teller. I obtained my Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, where I studied enzymology with Judith Klinman. Judith is an incredibly deep thinker as well as a generous and courageous individual who continues to be one of my greatest inspirations."

"I was always interested in science. When John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, I remember riding my tricycle and thinking that I too wanted to be an astronaut. Later, when I became an assistant professor at the University of Colorado, three of my first lab members had segued into biochemistry after first starting in aerospace engineering. So I appreciate how NASA and other big-science efforts promote science by inspiring kids."

"I grew up on U.S. military bases in Korea and Japan. My father emigrated from Korea and worked at the U.S. embassies in Seoul and Tokyo. My mother was a finance clerk at the embassy. I have one brother who’s an engineer and builds airplanes."

"One of the biggest problem areas was government policy and regulations that constrained communication, set artificially high communication charges, especially for long-distance, import and control restrictions on satellite communication and on computer and computer communication equipment leading to its unavailability (all of us involved in early networking projects in Africa have our personal stories of smuggling in modems in purses and checked baggage). At the level of planners and decision-makers, there was widespread skepticism about whether this was needed in Africa, when there were so many basic needs to be met."

"I think I was born a feminist. I was the fourth-generation of female breadwinners on my mother’s side, and I came from a family of two daughters. There wasn’t much possibility that the girls in our family would get second-class treatment. I was rather shocked when I first encountered overt sexist bias at university (this was in the Boston area of the US in the early sixties), especially in history, which was my major."

"So much of what constitutes underdevelopment is marked by isolation and lack of resources. Simply put, networking means an end to isolation and access to resources that were formerly unavailable. It opens doors and leads to avenues that were closed to most people, especially those in developing countries."

"Women invest their earnings in the family. Women are half of the resources of the world – if a country doesn’t invest in its female resources, it loses half of the productivity it might have."

"Hannah Okwengu’s work will always be remembered for her unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice was accessible to all Kenyans."

"As a leader in various judicial committees and professional bodies, Okwengu has shown a commitment to advancing women's rights and promoting judicial efficiency."

"Underscoring that her country continues to uphold the rights of all States to strengthen their defence capabilities against external threats, she reiterated her call for the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the Central African Republic."

"She emphasized that through its role presiding over the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, her country has made efforts in that regard towards the Central African Republic, while also working on the border dispute between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as between Uganda and Rwanda."

"She also called for an end to the economic embargo against Cuba, while reiterating her support for the lifting of sanctions and coercive measures against Zimbabwe and Venezuela. Pointing out that negotiations towards Security Council reform have not produced the results that most of the Member States expected, she emphasized that such a reform should consider an equitable representation that reflects the current configuration of the Organization."

"n 2011, she received the merit and recognition certificate for good services rendered during the construction, consolidation and projection of Angolan policy in the international arena."

"Ms. Ferreira was awarded the gold medal by Presidential Order Nr. 70/10 in 2010 for her participation in the struggle for independence."

"Ms. Ferreira holds a master’s degree in international law from the Catholic University of Porto, Portugal, and a degree of licentiate in economics law from Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies in Lisbon, Portugal."

"Lady Justice Hannah Okwengu has served with dedication and integrity in her judicial capacity. Her contributions to the administration of justice in Kenya have been invaluable."

"For years, women have been ridiculed, pampered, chucked under the chin. I ask you, on behalf of us all, be fair to the fair sex."

"American girls are terrific. American wives take too damn much territory."

"The feminine mystique has succeeded in burying millions of American women alive."

"Men grow cold as girls grow old And we all lose our dreams in the end, But square-cut or pear-shaped, These rocks don't lose their shape: Diamonds are a girl's best friend."

"She wasn't much over five feet and a hundred pounds, and she looked a little scrawny around the neck and ankles. But that was all right. It was perfectly all right. The good Lord had known just where to put that flesh where it would really do some good."

"Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!"

"The problem that has no name—which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities."

": Sir, you are no gentleman! : And you, miss, are no lady. : Oh! : Don't think that I hold that against you. Ladies have never held any charm for me."

"She was seeing through Rhett's eyes the passing, not of a woman but of a legend — the gentle, self-effacing but steel-spined women on whom the South had builded its house in war and to whose proud and loving arms it had returned in defeat."

"Women should be kept illiterate and clean, like canaries."

"The ladies men admire, I’ve heard, Would shudder at a wicked word. Their candle gives a single light; They’d rather stay at home at night. They do not keep awake till three, Nor read erotic poetry. They never sanction the impure, Nor recognize an overture. They shrink from powders and from paints... So far, I’ve had no complaints."

"American women shoot the hippopotamus with eyebrows made of platinum."

"The schoolmaster is apt to be a favorite with the female part of creation, especially in the rural districts."