Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Obituary Of A Feminist Icon
On September 18th 2020, news broke that the western world had lost one of its most iconic figures – Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The second woman to ever sit on the supreme court of the USA died at age 87 from complications of pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a vast legacy, even more notorious than her moniker, the ‘notorious RBG’. Throughout her career she was an established campaigner and advocate of women’s rights and gender equality rights until the end. Before she died, she commented that her, ‘most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.’ She was so close to getting that wish.
Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, RBG was the youngest child of a conservative Jewish family. Her first name was Joan, but she went by her middle name Ruth as her mother preferred it. At age 17 her mother died and upon learning that she was not allowed to join the minyan (traditionally a male group) to mourn her mother, she abandoned religion. RBG excelled in school, attending Cornell University and making it into the Harvard Law School. She faced gender discrimination from professors who were reluctant to admit that a woman could do the same job as a man and she was even asked why she should take the place of a qualified male. Speaking about this in later life, she stated, ‘The study of law was unusual for women of my generation. For most girls growing up in the '40s, the most important degree was not your B.A., but your M.R.S.’ Upon graduating from law school top of her class, she did not receive any job offers. She put this down to her being a woman, Jewish, and a mother.
Her varied career included working as a law professor in Rutgers and Colombia. She was an advocate of the American Civil Liberties Union in the 70’s, and a director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project where she famously fought and won five gender discrimination cases before the supreme court, on the basis that gender discrimination was unconstitutional. In 1993 she became the USA’s second ever woman to sit on the Supreme Court after being appointed by Bill Clinton. Her husband, Marty, had helped play a role in making this possible by quietly lobbying in the background. He is said to have told a friend that the most important thing he ever accomplished in life was, ‘to enable Ruth to do what she has done.’
It’s important to note that RBG was also not without controversy. She had a mixed record when it came to supporting the rights of the Native American community. One incident in particular in 2005, where she voted against the Oneida Nation from being able to restore their lands in upstate New York. Her reasoning behind this, “the longstanding non-Indian character of the area and its inhabitants … and the Oneidas’ long delay in seeking judicial relief.” left a lasting impact and it’s important that we remember this and the pain it caused.
RBG was openly pro-choice and actively advocated for a woman’s right to choose – much to the anger of the conservative right. Some of her most famous quotes are around bodily autonomy. As a young person growing up in Northern Ireland where abortion was illegal in all circumstances except death of the mother, this quote was incredibly poignant, awe-inspiring and helped instil a fire in my belly – “This is something central to a woman’s life, to her dignity. It’s a decision that she must make for herself. And when government controls that decision for her, she’s being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices.”
A national icon, described as a flaming feminist, she was known for her nickname, ‘the notorious RBG,’ and for her phrase, ‘I dissent,’ helping to inspire the younger generation to advocate for their rights. She has been the subject of documentaries, best-selling books and has become a cult figure representing what can be achieved when you fight for your rights. In 2019 she said, "It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the Notorious RBG. I am now 86 years old and yet people of all ages want to take their picture with me."
She continued to take part in supreme court dealings right up until she died, advocating for the causes she held dear: gender equality, abortion rights and voting rights. A true pioneer and advocate committed until the end, she was living history and has single-handedly helped inspire and pave the way for the next generation of equality advocates and female law makers in the USA. I’d like to honour the Notorious RBG with one final quote, "I went to law school when women were less than 3% of lawyers in the country; today, they are 50%. I never had a woman teacher in college or in law school. The changes have been enormous. And they've just — they've gone much too far (to be) going back."
Thank you RBG, you’re right, we’re never going back.
Rest in Power - Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg, born 15 March 1933; died 18 September 2020.
Written by Sarah Rose
Sarah Rose is a freelance writer from Belfast who writes about all things pelvic pain. She uses her Instagram platform mypelvicpain to share her journey with endometriosis and raise awareness around this condition and its impact on her life. Sarah’s sole aim is to help others and ensure that no one ever has to suffer in silence again.