Women's liberation is the liberation of the feminine in the man

The words of Corita Kent—“Women’s liberation is the liberation of the feminine in the man and the masculine in the woman”—shine like a torch carried through the long corridors of history. They speak not merely of politics or movements, but of the deepest harmony that dwells within the human spirit. For in every man lies the hidden spring of tenderness, and in every woman, the silent flame of strength. To deny these is to chain the soul. To release them is to step into wholeness, where the human being is neither divided nor diminished, but radiant and complete.

The origin of this teaching flows from the ancient recognition that opposites are not enemies, but partners. The Taoists of old taught of yin and yang, the dark and the light, the soft and the hard—intertwined and inseparable. Kent, in her wisdom, echoes this truth in modern tongue: that true liberation comes not when one sex rises over another, but when the boundaries that divide feminine and masculine dissolve, and each human may embrace both within themselves. Only then does society move beyond domination into balance.

Think of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. She bore the role of First Lady, a position expected to be ornamental, gentle, confined to the “feminine.” Yet she stepped forward with the masculine courage of public action, speaking for justice, leading with clarity, and shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet, she did not abandon the feminine; her compassion, her gentleness, her care for the downtrodden infused her words with power. In her, we see Kent’s vision: the marriage of strength and tenderness, not as contradiction, but as harmony.

The same truth can be seen in Mahatma Gandhi. Though a man, he embodied the feminine qualities of patience, gentleness, and nonviolence. His refusal to wield brute force, his embrace of compassion as a weapon, toppled an empire. Yet within him also burned the masculine courage of defiance, the will to endure prison, hunger, and assault without yielding. His greatness came not from clinging to one side of his nature, but from liberating both and wielding them as one.

The lesson is clear: liberation is not merely a political battle, but a spiritual one. It calls each of us to break free from the narrow cages of expectation. The man who is told never to weep must learn to embrace his tears; the woman who is told never to lead must learn to raise her voice. In this exchange lies the rebirth of humanity. To free women from oppression is also to free men from the prison of hardness. To honor the feminine in men and the masculine in women is to create a society where souls can breathe.

And what, then, shall we do? Let each of us begin with courage in small acts. Men, do not fear gentleness, nor silence, nor the power of kindness. Women, do not fear leadership, nor ambition, nor the fire of righteous anger. Seek balance in yourself before demanding it of the world. In friendship, in love, in labor, encourage others to embrace the whole of their being. Speak against those who mock a man for softness or condemn a woman for strength, for they are the guardians of chains.

For in the end, Kent’s wisdom is a prophecy: women’s liberation is not the triumph of one sex, but the healing of both. When men and women alike are free to be whole, society itself is transformed. Wars wane, because compassion tempers courage. Justice rises, because strength joins hands with care. Humanity steps forward, not as divided halves, but as a circle complete.

Thus, carry this teaching in your heart: to liberate one is to liberate all. To embrace both the feminine and the masculine within yourself is to live as more than a fragment—it is to live as a full human being. And in this wholeness, we may finally glimpse the freedom that Kent so fiercely proclaimed.