Manda

“Female. That label has never done anything for me except dictate what I can or cannot do. No going anywhere without permission. No showing too much skin. No speaking too loudly or unkindly, or at all, if the men are talking. No living my life without being constantly aware of how pleasing I am to the eye. No future except pushing out son after son for a husband”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“You know what I think?” I say. “I think this whole concept of women being docile and obedient is nothing but wishful thinking. Or why would you put so much effort into lying to us? Into crippling our bodies? Into coercing us with made-up morals you claim are sacred? You insecure men, you’re afraid. You can force us into compliance, but, deep down, you know you can’t force us to truly love and respect you. And without love and respect, there will always be a seed of hatred and resistance. Growing. Festering. Waiting.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow

“So if someone gave every sign of not wanting anything to do with you—if they left you, and didn’t approach you again, and said they weren’t interested in you—then they don’t care about you, right? And you should leave them alone.”
Gregory blinked. “I was hoping for something a little more challenging. Yes, you should leave them alone.”
“Okay,” said Elliot. “That’s what I thought.”
“It doesn’t necessarily mean they do not care about you,” said Gregory. “But it might. Eventually, you have to stop waiting for people. If they care about you, they’ll find you when they can: they will show you. And if they don’t . . . after a certain amount of time and effort, isn’t it wasted energy? All light burns out. Best put yours where people will appreciate it and be helped by it, and make it last longer.” He paused. “Caring about people who don’t care about you is a very unprofitable use of your time, and I mean that both figuratively and absolutely literally.”
― Sarah Rees Brennan, In Other Lands

“When a woman gets pregnant, her body is suddenly everybody's business. Endless restrictions could be clamped onto her "for the good of the baby". There's no better tool of control.”
― Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow