Quote on Patriarchy

I think that patriarchy is a fundamental imbalance which is at the root of many many social diseases. Of war, of the destruction of the environment, of racism. All of these things that are eventual manifestations of this...unless we go to the source we are never gonna really cure this, we're never gonna really stop war. Cu patriarchy will always lead us there. Consciousness shift. It's not enough to plug women into patriarchal structures. We can have all the Condolezza Rices and Margaret Thatchers and nothing will change. I think a feminist consciousness, while it is more easily and automatically embodied by women, by the mothers, by the nurturers of the earth, it can absolutely be embodied and propelled by men as well. It's a consciousnesness we can all share. It's not one that I think should dominate either! I've been to plenty of women's music festivals and whoo! There's trouble there ya know. I think what we need is balance.
------------------------------------------------Ani Difranco (music artist, activist)