From the brave and inspiring women who have shaped history to the resilient everyday heroes who push boundaries and defy expectations, women have been the backbone of society. And as we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s the perfect time to recognize and honor the incredible women in our lives.
Featuring words of wisdom from iconic figures like Coco Chanel and Margaret Thatcher, as well as Former First Ladies like Michelle Obama and Eleanor Roosevelt, this collection is a testament to the resilience and grace of women from all walks of life.
Let these quotes remind you to uplift and support the amazing women in your life and to never underestimate the impact and influence they have on society. Happy International Women’s Day!
More Inspirational Quotes
Short Strong Women Quotes
1. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” ― Ruth Bader Ginsburg
2. “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” ― Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
3. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ― Coco Chanel
4. “Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes’, we have standards.” ― Marilyn Monroe
5. “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.” ― Margaret Thatcher
6. “I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all.” ― Coco Chanel
7. “If you can dance and be free and be embarrassed, you can rule the world.” ― Amy Poehler
8. “The energy you’ll expend focusing on someone else’s life is better spent working on your own. Just be your own idol.” ― Sophia Amoruso
9. “Be happy with being you. Love your flaws. Own your quirks.” ― Ariana Grande
10. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” ― Lucille Ball
11. “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.” ― Emma Watson
12. “Am I good enough? Yes, I am.” ― Michelle Obama, “Becoming”
13. “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” ― Katherine Hepburn
14. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” ― Dolly Parton
Inspirational Women Quotes
15. “People are going to judge you anyway, so you might as well do what you want.” ― Taylor Swift
16. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” ― Audrey Hepburn
17. “Females are the most beautiful, gorgeous creatures in the whole world. And I think that we are gorgeous no matter what size we are.” ― Alicia Keys
18. “Once I learned to like me more than others did, then I didn’t have to worry about being the funniest or the most popular or the prettiest. I was the best me and I only ever tried to be that.” ― Issa Rae
19. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” ― Dolly Parton
20. “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.” ― Malala Yousafzai
21. “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” ― Judy Garland
22. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ― Maya Angelou
23. “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” ― Angela Davis
24. “When girls are given the right tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures, not only for themselves but also for those around them.” ― Meghan Markle
25. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou
26. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” ― Oprah Winfrey
27. “They’ll tell you you’re too loud, that you need to wait your turn and ask the right people for permission. Do it anyway.” – Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Women Empowerment Quotes
28. “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” ― Maya Angelou
29. “A feminist is a person who believes in the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of anyone else. It’s equality, it’s fairness, and I think it’s a great thing to be a part of.” ― Zendaya
30. “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” ― Madonna
31. “There’s something so 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
32. “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
33. “Other women who are killing it should motivate you, thrill you, challenge you, and inspire you.” ― Taylor Swift
34. “I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” ― Marissa Meyer
35. “Ignore the glass ceiling and do your work. If you’re focusing on the glass ceiling, focusing on what you don’t have, focusing on the limitations, then you will be limited.” ― Ava Duvernay
36. “I encourage women to step up. Don’t wait for somebody to ask you.” ― Reese Witherspoon
37. “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.” ― Mindy Kaling
38. “When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.” ― Bette Davis
39. “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
40. “I hear a lot of people saying, when talking about girls’ empowerment and women as well, you’ll often hear people saying, ‘You’re helping them find their voices’, I fundamentally disagree with that. Women don’t need to find their voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.” ― Meghan Markle
Humorous Strong Women Quotes
41. “Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.” ― Katharine Hepburn
42. “Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
43. “I married beneath me. All women do.” ― Nancy Astor
44. “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad, I’m better.” ― Mae West
45. “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” ― Virginia Woolf
46. “I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn’t last long.” ― Shelley Winters
47. “Why is it that men are permitted to be obsessed about their work, but women are only permitted to be obsessed about men?” ― Barbra Streisand
48. “If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.” ― Katharine Hepburn
49. “There’s nothing a man can do that I can’t do better and in heels.” ― Ginger Rogers
50. “Behind every great woman … is another great woman.” ― Kate Hodges
51. “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” ― Charlotte Whitton
Powerful Women Quotes
52. “I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.” ― Mary Shelley
53. “I know what I bring to the table…So trust me when I say I’m not afraid to eat alone.” ― Unknown
54. “I may be the first woman member of Congress, but I won’t be the last.” ― Jeannette Rankin
55. “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman.” ― Melinda Gates
56. “Don’t mistake politeness for lack of strength.” ― Sonia Sotomayor, “My Beloved World”
57. “It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about where you get yourself in the end. There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice.” ― Michelle Obama, “Becoming”
58. “For one thing we know beyond all doubt: Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, ‘It can’t be done.’” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
59. “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” ― Audre Lorde
60. “As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.” ― Ruth Bader Ginsburg
61. “You can always tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” ― Unknown
62. “Justice is about making sure that being polite is not the same thing as being quiet. In fact, oftentimes, the most righteous thing you can do is shake the table.” ― Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
63. “Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power — not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and they don’t want it to exist.” ― Janet Mock
64. “If you’re one of those people who has that little voice in the back of her mind saying, ‘Maybe I could do [fill in the blank],’ don’t tell it to be quiet. Give it a little room to grow, and try to find an environment it can grow in.” ― Reese Witherspoon
65. “We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” ― Beyoncé Knowles