I believe that as women, we must commit ourselves to sustaining

In the noble words of Carre Otis, we hear a call not only to remembrance, but to duty: “I believe that as women, we must commit ourselves to sustaining the progress made by our foremothers who fought so hard for women's equality and liberation.” These are not words of idle reflection—they are a summons, a sacred torch passed from one generation to the next. For in every age, the struggle for equality must be fought anew, lest the hard-won victories of the past fade into complacency. Otis, a woman who has herself risen from hardship and oppression, speaks here as both witness and warrior, reminding us that freedom, once earned, must be guarded with eternal vigilance.

The origin of this quote is rooted in Otis’s own life and transformation. Once a model subjected to exploitation and silence, she emerged as an advocate for women’s rights, body autonomy, and justice. Her journey from objectification to empowerment embodies the very liberation she speaks of—a reclamation of voice and selfhood. When she calls for women to “commit themselves to sustaining progress,” she is not speaking of abstract ideals; she is invoking the lived blood and sacrifice of countless women who came before—women who fought in courts, in streets, and in their own homes for the right to be seen, heard, and respected as equals.

To understand her words fully, one must look backward—to the ancient and modern heroines who shaped the world we inhabit. The women of Greece who defied silence, like Aspasia, who taught philosophy though barred from citizenship; the suffragists of the nineteenth century, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who demanded the ballot in a world that dismissed them; and the unflinching voices of the twentieth century—Sojourner Truth, Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Steinem—who carried forward the standard of equality with fiery clarity. These foremothers were not granted their victories—they carved them from stone, often at the cost of peace, comfort, and reputation. It is their spirit, fierce and unyielding, that Otis calls upon us to sustain.

In the ancient way, such a call would have been regarded as an oath, a sacred pact between generations. For the ancients knew that the labors of one era must be tended by the next, lest the field of progress grow barren. So too must we tend the legacy of women’s liberation, not with complacency, but with continual courage. Every right we possess today—education, the vote, the power to choose our own destinies—was purchased by suffering. And though the chains of the past may have been broken, their echoes still linger in the halls of power, in the wages of labor, and in the judgments of the world. Otis warns us that progress, if not guarded, can be undone.

Consider the story of Hypatia of Alexandria, the philosopher and mathematician of the ancient world. She taught freely in an age when women were expected to be silent, her wisdom drawing scholars from across empires. Yet for her defiance, she was slain by those who feared the light of her intellect. Her death stands as both a tragedy and a testament—a reminder that every step toward equality has been shadowed by resistance. And yet, from her sacrifice sprang a truth that cannot die: knowledge, like freedom, cannot be destroyed once awakened. Each generation of women who dares to speak, to lead, to love themselves fully, is part of Hypatia’s living resurrection.

When Carre Otis speaks of “sustaining progress,” she also speaks to the responsibility of modern women—and men—to continue the work not yet finished. For equality is not a destination, but a horizon ever moving forward. It is found in the empowerment of women’s voices, in the safety of their bodies, in the recognition of their worth not for their appearance, but for their spirit and mind. It is found in the teaching of daughters that they are heirs to a lineage of strength, and in the teaching of sons that liberation is not division, but shared humanity.

Thus the lesson stands, shining as the morning star: never let the work of the foremothers fall to dust. Honor them not merely with words, but with deeds—with courage in the face of injustice, with solidarity among sisters and allies, with the unwavering conviction that the fight for dignity belongs to all. Speak truth in places where silence has reigned. Lift those who stumble, and remind them that they walk a road paved by heroes.

For the chain of progress is forged by unbroken hands—those of the past, the present, and those yet to come. To “commit ourselves,” as Otis commands, is to make our lives a continuation of that sacred work: to ensure that the fires kindled by equality and liberation never fade, but burn ever brighter for generations unborn. Let this be our promise—that when our daughters speak of us, they will say we did not let the flame die, but carried it forward, steadfast and unafraid, into the dawn of a freer world.