equal and opposite

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the principle, drawn from Newton's third law of motion, that every action produces a reaction of equal magnitude in the opposite direction — extended metaphorically to describe how resistance to change generates corresponding counter-forces of advocacy and activism, and how the assertion of power by one group calls forth an equal assertion of power by those previously marginalised; in gender equity contexts the phrase describes how patriarchal structures and their defences generate an equal and opposite force of feminist organising and resistance; it also captures the idea that for every barrier erected against women's advancement, a corresponding surge of ingenuity, determination, and collective action rises to meet and dismantle it