Feminists

"The broom is a bundle of sticks bound together, with each stick representing an individual Gambian or group of Gambians who, while maintaining their individuality, are united in purpose. Together, they aim for one goal—to bring change and progress, symbolizing the unity and shared aspirations of the Gambia."

"I entered the presidential race as an independent candidate to champion the will of the people, addressing the concerns of Gambians both at home and in the diaspora."

"Those in power are ignoring calls for political and economic reform. The conditions for political participation have been designed in a way that limits political pluralism, leaving many feeling powerless. Excessive power is concentrated in the hands of a few, and we need a new approach to governance that includes the people in decisions that impact them. Decision-makers are often not held accountable for their actions on behalf of others."

"Over the past two decades, I have traveled across this country, meeting hardworking men and women in cities, towns, and villages. I have listened to your frustrations and am deeply inspired and motivated by you, the people of Gambia, and by your desire for change despite immense economic hardship and limitations on our freedom and personal liberty."

"I have also heard your frustrations, and I am inspired and motivated by you, the Gambian people, and your strong desire for change despite the severe economic hardships and the restrictions on our freedom and personal liberties."

"[About prostitution and surrogacy] Both are industries that commodify women and turn what at the foundation of human life into products. In prostitution what is sold is sex without reproduction. In surrogacy, it is reproduction without sex. In both cases, however, it is the woman who is sold and she is denied the fundamental point of the activity itself: she does not get pleasure from sex and she does not get any children from reproduction. In both cases she is totally dehumanized."

"I preferred to live as master of men, not their servant."

"Men claim they have superior intelligence, saying there have been more men of genius than women. They forget that only when people use their gifts do they develop. That is why poor men who have spent their lives as cooks or tailors have not excelled in the arts or sciences. How can we expect, therefore, to find women whose knowledge is confined to this sphere excelling as geniuses?"

"There was no religious prohibition of showing a woman's face, that Egyptian peasants do not cover their faces, and that the white transparent cloth barely covers the face."

"Since you men claim to be wiser and have better minds than women, then how come you are seduced by seeing their faces."

"I know Louisa very well. In 1983, when she was arrested by the State Security Court for her political beliefs, I was with her, as we were part of the same association. This is not the first time she has been detained for exercising her political rights. Louisa is a remarkable woman and a towering political figure. No prison, whether military or civilian, can confine the greatness of Louisa Hanoune. The real shame is not that Louisa Hanoune is in prison as a politician—the shame is that, in 2019, there are still people in Algeria making such decisions. It is not too late to correct this grave mistake."

"The decision to incarcerate a female politician, the leader of a legitimate political party, is utterly inexplicable—except for the possibility that those responsible hold an authoritarian view of political life and action. This cannot be a decision made by the entire military institution; that is simply impossible. To me, this choice is completely baffling. More importantly, it is unacceptable, scandalous, and intolerable."

"In my view, citizens must understand that this poses a threat to everyone. It sets a dangerous precedent, implying that anyone who refuses to conform risks arrest. But what exactly did Louisa Hanoune do? She simply fulfilled her responsibilities as an activist and political party leader to the fullest. Her arrest was solely for exercising her political rights and performing her duties."

"Patience is an art that is learned patiently"

"This concept reflects a troubling shift towards totalitarianism, posing a serious threat to the entire nation. Those responsible for incarcerating Louisa Hanoune must reconsider their actions, as her arrest is not only harmful to the country but also damages the reputation of the ANP."

"The arrest of Louisa Hanoune does not tarnish her reputation—not in the slightest. Instead, it discredits those who imprisoned her and, by extension, the military institution, for which I hold the utmost respect. Her arrest occurred at the level of the military tribunal, yet I am confident the ANP as an institution is not responsible for this serious misstep, which involves detaining a political leader for fulfilling her duties. Do the individuals behind this unfortunate decision realize they are implicating the entire military institution? This is deeply unjust—not only to Louisa but also to the ANP and the nation as a whole. To correct this triple injustice, Louisa Hanoune must be released immediately."

"Treat your husband like a child. Tame him like the lion you have tamed. Be patient, cunning , intelligent . And he will never be able to separate from you. This is the secret to keeping a husband. No amulet could beat it."

"We only die when our time on earth is over. A time already written by the Creator from the first breath of life. We cannot advance or rewind this fateful moment. Why then lament the implacable decision of Allah?"

"At the end of the patience, there is the sky"

"I am now sure of myself and my place. I will never let anyone take it. I remain serene. No matter what wife comes, I will fight. No matter what weapons she uses, I will still win the battle."

"If you have been able to tame a lion, it is not your husband, a poor man, who will surpass you. Act exactly the same way with him and he will be yours forever. If you have been able to obtain these whiskers, it is because you have had the best qualities that a woman can have: patience and cunning. Take care of your husband like a child. Tame him like this lion that you have tamed. Be patient, cunning, intelligent. And he will never be able to separate from you. This is the secret to attaching a husband to yourself. No amulet would be worth it."

"Seduce him with your generous behavior, your pleasant presence, your tasty cuisine. Show him that no woman will ever be able to surpass you. The advantage of polygamy is that it allows you to test his love and your power over him. You are his first wife. All those who follow will never be as precious as you. None will be able to live what you have lived. None will be able to give him children as you have given him. You are the privileged one and you will always remain so."

"In Morocco, the 1967 war came after the kidnapping of Mehdi Ben Barks and the establishment of the state of emergency, which exacerbated tensions between the government and the left-wing opposition and reinforced the revolutionary need in our country."

"The Moudawana reform is more than symbolic. It’s a substantial shift that impacts real, everyday lives. It represents a triumph of our struggle and a step towards real equality."

"What an old person sees while sitting, a child, even if he gets up, will not see!"

"But that day there was a pen, I took it and started writing. After a while, a certain calm came over me, I felt better. Maybe that was a survival instinct."

"But it is true that we do not realise how much time passes; the world is moving faster today than it was then. And what is happening there is not encouraging. The situation in Gaza for example, literally makes me sick."

"It is one of my oldest commitments and it is central to my activism. I do not spend a night without waking up to follow the news feed and lament the fate of the poor victims. We are noe three months into the war and the situation is becoming truly unbearable. To go back in time, I even consider that the Palestinian question was one of the reasons for the political commitments of those of my generations."

"It was during this period that the Marxism-Leninist movements emerged and that protest against the regime increased. Young people already consider that the powers in place were unable to satisfy the political and social demands within their own countries, and that with the Palestinian question, they proved that they were also incapable of defending a cause that fascinated the entire Arab world in the midst of a Pan-Arabist surge."

"We were convinced that only Arab unity could get us out of the political lethargy in which we lived and that this could bring us freedom and democracy."

"Fifty years after independence, it is disheartening to observe that women veterans remain underrepresented in this office. We stood shoulder to shoulder with men in the maquis, fighting with the same vigor and commitment. Now, we seek our rightful share, as guaranteed by the Constitution, which upholds gender equality. It is our plea that the sacrifices made by women veterans be acknowledged and represented accordingly. The struggle for equality was not limited to the battlefield, and it should reflect in the recognition of our contributions today."

"Women's emancipation cannot be discussed in terms of the veil and customs; instead, we must provide them jobs."

"The degree of a country’s revolutionary awareness may be measured by the political maturity of its women."

"Is there anything else in this world other than love, that you will never get bored of recurrence?"

"Dominant western culture has systematically inferiorised, backgrounded and denied dependency on the whole sphere of reproduction and subsistence. This denial of dependency is a major factor in the perpetuation of the non-sustainable modes of using nature which loom as such a threat to the future of western society."

"The inferiorization of human qualities and aspects of life associated with necessity, nature and women—of nature-as-body, of nature-as-passion or emotion, of nature as the pre-symbolic, of nature-as-primitive, of nature-as-animal and of nature as the feminine—continues to operate to the disadvantage of women, nature and the quality of human life."

"One of the most common forms of denial of women and nature is what I will term backgrounding, their treatment as providing the background to a dominant, foreground sphere of recognized achievement or causation. This backgrounding of women and nature is deeply embedded in the rationality of the economic system and in the structures of contemporary society."

"Yes, a musical entitled The Train has for its theme that notorious contraceptive train which ran from Belfast to Dublin in 1971 and is to open next week in Dublin. I participated in that original stunt, but I have declined any further connection with the performance in question and chosen not to appear on any radio or television programme associated with it. I do not endorse Rough Magic's enterprise in turning this episode into a musical, because, for me, it is not the way to explain the historical context of birth control in Ireland - and elsewhere. I also feel that an experience which belongs to my life has been stolen. It is for me to tell my story, at least while I am alive, not others."

"[On the "contraceptive train" episode] I knew that this was something which had to be done, because it would make a point dramatically, sensationally, even historically. I was also wretched about doing it. I knew how upset my mother would be – how mortified to see her daughter in the headlines, even identified as a ringleader, in a stunt which involved buying French letters in Belfast."

"“Books saved you. Having become your refuge, they sustained you. The power of books, this marvelous invention of astute human intelligence. Various signs associated with sound: different sounds that form the word. Juxtaposition of words from which springs the idea, Thought, History, Science, Life. Sole instrument of interrelationships and of culture, unparalleled means of giving and receiving. Books knit generations together in the same continuing effort that leads to progress. They enabled you to better yourself. What society refused you, they granted.”"

"“A nervous breakdown waits around the corner for anyone who lets himself wallow in bitterness. Little by little, it takes over your whole being.”"

"“The word ‘happiness’ does indeed have meaning, doesn’t it? I shall go out in search of it.”"

"“Friendship has splendors that love knows not. It grows stronger when crossed, whereas obstacles kill love. Friendship resists time, which wearies and severs couples. It has heights unknown to love.""

"The truth can be a harsh and cruel reality."

"“Teachers – at kindergarten level, as at university level – form a noble army accomplishing daily feats, never praised, never decorated. An army without drums, without gleaming uniforms. This army, thwarting traps and snares, everywhere plants the flag of knowledge and morality.”"

"In the face of misogyny and injustice, the only hope is escape."

"“A woman must marry the man who loves her, but never the one she loves; that is the secret of lasting happiness.”"

"Was he a possible partner for Mireille? Could he assume such a mutation."

"Ousmane Gueye, who had mistrusted all women, threw himself at the mercy of a woman, and a white woman at that."

"A Toubab can’t be a proper daughter-in-law. She’ll only have eyes for her man. We’ll mean nothing to her."