Ahhh, women, the silent and meek housekeepers, the unacknowledged grey cardinals with a well-deserved place in the kitchen. Thankfully, the times when the sentence above would’ve made sense are long gone (but not forgotten), and all thanks to the fair sex themselves. It’s women that have raised generation upon generation of people destined to make our world a better place. With love, care, and compassion. It’s women that have changed society’s view on many pressing issues. All with love, care, and compassion. It’s the ladies that have made some of the most important breakthroughs in science, and it’s the fairer sex that turns out to be the most worthy leaders of countries. Because they do it all with love, care, and compassion. And that is probably why women are so strong, so powerful, and intelligent (despite being told for ages that all they are good for is knitting, making sandwiches, and being pleasant for the eye).
This article is truly a celebration of women - their words gathered in one place make it a dynamite read, sure to inspire you. Some of these powerful women’s quotes might even change your perspective on life 180 degrees, and it will be enlightening! And these are also not just some ladies (although every woman has the qualities to be mighty); these smart words came from scientists, politicians, writers, and actresses who have paved their paths all by themselves, proving that they (and we!) can do it all.
Now, hopefully, our intro made you quite excited about what’s to come, and we promise these quotes by women won’t disappoint you but rather give you some quite nutritious food for thought. So pick the ones that lit a fire in you, vote for them, and don’t forget to tell the world about these intelligent, brave, and affectionate ladies!
#1
“Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water.” — Eleanor Roosevelt#2
“We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. […] And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then maybe we should change the system itself?” – Greta Thunberg#3
“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” — Charlotte Whitton#4
“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” —Ingrid Bergman#5
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” – Angela Davis#6
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton#7
“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” – Anne Frank#8
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard… We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” – Malala Yousafzai#9
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher#10
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” —Sheryl Sandberg#11
“Women that believe in each other can survive anything. Women who believe in each other create armies that will win kingdoms and wars.” – Nikita Gill#12
“Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.” — Diana Ross#13
“Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” – Lady Gaga#14
“A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.” —Carly Simon#15
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” —Amelia Earhart#16
“Understand that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.” – Michelle Obama#17
“Every time someone writes that I play ‘strong women’ what they’re implying is that most women aren’t. How about I just play well-written parts?” — Jessica Chastain#18
“Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do… but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.” — Venus Williams#19
“If you live off a man’s compliments, you’ll die from his criticism.” – Cornelius Lindsey#20
“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.” — Audrey Hepburn#21
“Call me whatever you want. It’s not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing. Because it doesn’t just affect me, it affects all the other women who are in this with me, and it affects all the other men who are in this with me, too.” — Emma Watson#22
“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas#23
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie#24
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” —Lucille Ball#25
“If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.” — Mindy Kaling#26
“When you are a strong woman, you will attract trouble. When a man feels threatened, there is always trouble.” – Barbara Taylor Bradford#27
“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” – Mary Oliver#28
“If fighting for women’s health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the women’s card, then deal me in.” — Hillary Clinton#29
“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” – Indira Gandhi#30
“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” —Dr. Harriet Braiker#31
“It’s not your job to be likeable. It’s your job to be yourself. Someone will like you anyway.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie#32
“As for my girls, I’ll raise them to think they breathe fire.” – Jessica Kirkland#33
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” —Audre Lorde#34
“She’s a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.” – JM Storm#35
“We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It’s time to take ownership in our success.” — Tori Burch#36
“I’ve often thought it unfair that women are expected to stay at home when there’s a fight to be won. If a woman has the strength to bear a child, she can swing a sword as well as any man.” — Karen Hawkins#37
“You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.” – Mary Elizabeth Winstead#38
"Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement." - Golda Meir#39
“Aging is not “lost youth” but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan#40
“I am mine before I am anyone else’s.” – Nayyirah Waheed#41
"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent." - Madeleine Albright#42
“The beauty of being a feminist is that you get to be whatever you want. And that’s the point.” — Shonda Rhimes#43
“We’re all water from different rivers, that’s why it’s so easy to meet; we’re all water in this vast, vast ocean, someday we’ll evaporate together.” – Yoko Ono#44
"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." - Mother Teresa#45
“Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.” – Shirley Chisholm#46
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks#47
“In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell.” —Luvvie Ajayi#48
“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” — Diane Mariechild#49
“I don’t want to be better than you or her or him – I want to be better than I am right now.” — Kerri Walsh#50
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” —Judy Garland#51
“Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90. Time is a concept that humans created.” – Yoko Ono#52
“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou#53
"No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth." - Martha Beck#54
“The next decade cannot be a decade of confrontation and contention. It cannot be East vs. West. It cannot be men vs. women. It cannot be Islam vs. Christianity. That is what the enemies of dialogue want.” – Benazir Bhutto#55
“Find your ‘why’ so that you have the strength and resilience to push through those times when everything else is telling you no.”— Lisa Wimberger#56
“Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour#57
"If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don't, you're simply ducking your responsibilities." - Ann Richards#58
“I can do anything when I am in a tutu.” — Misty Copeland#59
“And you, you scare people because you are whole all by yourself.” – Lauren Alex Cooper#60
“Everyone has inside of her a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is.” – Anne Frank#61
“She understood that the hardest times in life to go through were when you were transitioning from one version of yourself to another.” – Sarah Addison Allen#62
"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." - Coco Chanel#63
“Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.” – Michelle Obama#64
"If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I'm going." - Jackie Joyner-Kersee#65
“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” – Serena Williams#66
"One of the secrets to staying young is to always do things you don't know how to do, to keep learning." - Ruth Reichl#67
"If you're someone people count on, particularly in difficult moments, that's a sign of a life lived honorably." - Rachel Maddow#68
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes—understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” — Arianna Huffington#69
“Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.” —Brene Brown#70
“Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.” — Sarah Dessen#71
“Women are always saying, ‘We can do anything that men can do.’ But men should be saying, ‘We can do anything that women can do.'” — Gloria Steinem#72
“Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears.” — Gillian Anderson#73
“One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in, and where you want to go.” – Sheila Murray Bethel#74
“She is both hellfire and holy water. And the flavor you taste depends on how you treat her.” – Sneha Pal#75
“You have to be careful when you’re getting feedback because people will give you conflicting feedback all the time, but ultimately you end up following your own inner guide.” —Natalie Portman#76
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” — Melinda Gates#77
“Perhaps some detours aren’t detours at all. Perhaps they are actually the path.” — Katherine Wolf#78
“Our backs tell stories no books have the spine to carry.” – Rupi Kaur#79
“Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men’s chivalry to give them justice.” — Helen Keller#80
“Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.” — Nikki Haley#81
“I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better.” – Katherine Johnson#82
“One of the biggest qualities is having an awareness outside of yourself, and understanding that the world doesn’t revolve around your needs.”— Brie Larson#83
“Chin up, child. In my experience, when a life seems to be falling to pieces, it is usually falling into place.” – Beau Taplin#84
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." - Dolly Parton#85
“There’s something special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” —Rihanna#86
“I’ve always wanted to be a woman who isn’t afraid to tell her story.” — Andra Day#87
“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be yourself.” —Emma Stone#88
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand#89
“You may not be everything you thought you’d be by now, but you can be the one who loves, serves, and gives her all, and waters and nurtures every plant in the garden that God has already given her.” – Morgan Harper Nichols#90
“She remembered who she was and the game changed.” – Lalah Deliah#91
“No one is going to tell you all the things you want to hear all the time. You have to know them yourself.” —Busy Philipps#92
“Do we want to progress? If we want to progress, let women be all they can be. Don’t get in their way.” —Danai Gurira#93
"If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." - Erica Jong#94
"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice." - Peggy O'Mara#95
"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from." - Jodie Foster#96
“I always wanted to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman.” — Diane Von Furstenberg#97
“A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” — Marge Piercy#98
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah#99
“Don’t hold back because you think it’s unladylike. We shouldn’t be shamed out of our anger. We should be using it. Using it to make change in our own lives, and using it to make change in the lives around us.” —Jessica Valenti#100
“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” —Ruth Bader Ginsburg#101
“Women that believe in each other can survive anything. Women who believe in each other create armies that will win kingdoms and wars.” — Nikita Gill#102
“There are no hopeless situations; there are only men who have grown hopeless about them.”— Clare Boothe Luce#103
“Women should do for themselves what men have already done—occasionally what men have not done—thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.” – Amelia Earhart#104
“A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex but neither should she adjust to prejudice and discrimination.” – Betty Friedan#105
“If you're always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou#106
“Tolerance and compassion are active, not passive states, born of the capacity to listen, to observe and to respect others.” – Indira Gandhi#107
"Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." – Jane Goodall#108
“Run your own race. Don’t be distracted by what others are doing. Set and go after your own goals.”— Jen Gouldstone#109
“A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink.” —Gina Carey#110
“Practice creates confidence. Confidence empowers you.” —Simone Biles#111
“I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me.” — Tracee Ellis Ross#112
“Because confidence is really trust in yourself, right? It has nothing to do with what someone else thinks of you; it’s what you think of you.” — Chrissy Metz#113
“Don’t settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that’s in us.” — Angela Bassett#114
“I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.”—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie