What I am defending is the real rights of women. A woman should have the right to be in the home as a wife and mother.

In this quote, Phyllis Schlafly expresses her belief in defending the traditional roles of women, specifically within the context of marriage and motherhood. Schlafly emphasizes that women should have the right to choose to be at home, fulfilling the roles of wife and mother, rather than being pressured by society to pursue careers or other forms of independence. Her perspective highlights the value she places on the family structure and the importance of women choosing their paths without external judgment or societal expectations.

Schlafly’s view reflects her broader political stance, especially her opposition to the feminist movement and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which she strongly criticized. She believed that women should be able to choose a lifestyle based on traditional values, and that society should respect and defend those choices. Schlafly’s advocacy for women’s right to stay at home was part of her larger campaign to preserve what she saw as family values, which she felt were under threat from the push for gender equality in the workplace.

The quote also underscores her perspective on gender roles, arguing that women should not be forced to abandon their familial duties in favor of professional ambitions. For Schlafly, the right to be a homemaker was a fundamental freedom, one that allowed women to find fulfillment and contribute to society in a way that aligns with her personal beliefs on family and womanhood. She viewed this as a choice that women should have, rather than a role that should be diminished or dismissed in favor of modern, non-traditional paths.

Overall, Schlafly’s quote serves as a defense of traditional family roles and the belief that a woman’s identity and contribution to society can be found within the home. It speaks to the broader cultural and political debates of her time about the roles of women, feminism, and the evolving expectations of gender equality.