Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.

The line is a compact statement of strict legal and civic equality: men should claim no special privileges beyond their rights, and women should accept no status short of full rights. Its parallel structure underscores symmetry—rights are not a favor to be granted but a standard to be applied without sex-based exceptions. In the context of nineteenth-century U.S. women’s rights advocacy, the sentiment aligns with arguments for suffrage, property rights, and equal citizenship, rejecting both paternalism (“protection” in lieu of rights) and male entitlement. The aphorism’s force lies in its refusal to negotiate for partial reforms as a substitute for equal standing under law.