It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Citizenship in a Republic — Sorbonne, Paris — April 23, 1910
Citizenship in a Republic is the title of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910. One passage from that speech — known as “The Man in the Arena” — has become one of the most quoted texts on courage, resilience, and the will to act.
Inspired by Roosevelt’s profound words, this space extends those timeless values to equally celebrate and recognise The Woman in the Arena — acknowledging that courage, resilience, and valiance know no gender boundaries. For every woman who has felt the weight of criticism, the challenge of being overlooked, and still chose to step forward anyway.
Read the Manifesto