The Personal Is Political

Where Did This Slogan of the Women’s Movement Come From? What Does It Mean?

by Linda Napikoski

“The personal is political” was a frequently heard feminist rallying cry, especially during the late 1960s and 1970s. The exact origin of the phrase is unknown and sometimes debated. Many second wave feminists used the phrase “the personal is political” or its underlying meaning in their writing, speeches, consciousness raising, and other activities.

The meaning has sometimes been interpreted to mean that political and personal issues affect each other. It has also meant that the experience of women is the grounding of feminism, both personal and political. Some have seen it as a kind of practical model for creating feminist theory: begin with the small issues with which you have personal experience, and move from there to the larger systemic issues and dynamics which may explain and/or address those personal dynamics.

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