Every day is a great day to remember how awesome women are and celebrate women’s achievements. Inspirational women quotes will encourage you to think a little deeper than you usually would and broaden your perspective.
If you’re searching for famous strong women quotes that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of inspiring independent woman quotes, amazing girl power quotes and top women empowerment quotes.
Most Famous Women Quotes
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
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. Robert A. Heinlein
A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman. Virginia Woolf
Life is very interesting in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths. Drew Barrymore
A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. Jane Austen
I had to remind myself of the truth of who I was and the reality that success wasn’t defined by a result but by faithfulness. I had to remember that my identity and healing weren’t dependent on the voices that surrounded me and that the truth wasn’t dependent on popular opinion or cultural responses. I had to focus on what was real and true. The straight line instead of the crooked. Rachael Denhollander
I am no bird; and no net ensnares me I am a free human being with an independent will. Charlotte Brontë
I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am. Beyoncé
Well behaved women seldom make history. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Helen Keller
Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade since it consists principally of dealings with men. Joseph Conrad
I love hearing educated people speak and just shut everyone up. Knowledge is always the loudest voice. Zendaya
Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind. Virginia Woolf
Perhaps some detours aren’t detours at all. Perhaps they are actually the path. Katherine Wolf
I would always rather be happy than dignified. Charlotte Brontë
Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billie Jean King
I hope she’ll be a fool that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. F. Scott Fitzgerald
Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else. Maya Angelou
I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman. Anaïs Nin
I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all. Simone Biles
You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation. Brigham Young
The one person who will never leave us, whom we will never lose, is ourself. Learning to love our female selves is where our search for love must begin. Bell Hooks
There are no good girls gone wrong just bad girls found out. Mae West
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
Here’s all you have to know about men and women women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid. George Carlin
If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself. Mindy Kaling
Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim. Nora Ephron
Work hard every day. No matter what your strengths and weaknesses, there’s no substitute for hard work. Hope Solo
As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot. John Lennon
I love challenging the status quo. Sara Ramirez
When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch. Bette Davis
I can if I want to because it’s my business. Tabitha Brown
A girl should be two things classy and fabulous. Coco Chanel
Be courageous. Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in. When you are in your rocking chair talking to your grandchildren many years from now, be sure you have a good story to tell. Amal Clooney
I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives. Jane Austen
True champions aren’t always the ones that win, but those with the most guts. Mia Hamm
Well, it seems to me that the best relationships the ones that last are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with. Gillian Anderson
Being a strong woman is very important to me. But doing it all on my own is not. Reba McEntire
A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it. D.H. Lawrence
We might not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude. Beth Moore
There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me. Jane Austen
People have to go through things in order to become the person that they are today and that’s that. Sarah Hyland
What would men be without women? Scarce, sir mighty scarce. Mark Twain
I’ve always wanted to fight for people who didn’t have arms. I’ve always wanted to speak up for people who don’t have a voice. I’ve always wanted to protect people who couldn’t protect themselves. It’s my nature. It’s my instinct. Sophia Bush
Why are women so much more interesting to men than men are to women? Virginia Woolf
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
How wrong is it for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself? Anais Nin
We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. Whoopi Goldberg
It’s probably not just by chance that I’m alone. It would be very hard for a man to live with me, unless he’s terribly strong. And if he’s stronger than I, I’m the one who can’t live with him. I’m neither smart nor stupid, but I don’t think I’m a run of the mill person. I’ve been in business without being a businesswoman, I’ve loved without being a woman made only for love. The two men I’ve loved, I think, will remember me, on earth or in heaven, because men always remember a woman who caused them concern and uneasiness. I’ve done my best, in regard to people and to life, without precepts, but with a taste for justice. Coco Chanel
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
Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can’t figure out what from. Mae West
Change takes courage. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
No woman really wants a man to carry her off; she only wants him to want to do it. Elizabeth Peters
What if the things that have caused the most hurt in your life became the birthplaces of your deepest passions? Jennie Allen
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this. Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget. Robert Jordan
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be. Rosalynn Carter
Better to be strong than pretty and useless. Lilith Saintcrow
It’s about putting in the hours and going through the paces. Shawn Johnson
I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. Madonna
My best successes came on the heels of failures. Barbara Corcoran
Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men. Neil Gaiman
The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. Ayn Rand
A girl should be two things who and what she wants. Coco Chanel
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. Brené Brown
There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don’t need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain. Audrey Hepburn
If you are afraid of failure, you don’t deserve success. Nastia Liukin
I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience. Charlotte Brontë
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
As a woman I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world. Virginia Woolf
Hard days are the best because that’s when champions are made. Gabby Douglas
Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired, women, because they are curious both are disappointed. Oscar Wilde
I don’t believe in putting on airs. I call it like I see it. Ellen Pompeo
A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction. Oscar Wilde
Keep working even when no one is watching. Alex Morgan
Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings. Cheris Kramarae
It takes courage and strength to be empathetic, and I’m very proudly an empathetic and compassionate leader. I am trying to chart a different path, and that will attract criticism but I can only be true to myself and the form of leadership I believe in. Jacinda Ardern
Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22 year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?, here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage! Frank Kaiser
I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept. Angela Davis
As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking. Virginia Woolf
We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly. Margaret Atwood
Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman. Coco Chanel
I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall. Serena Williams
After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels. Ann Richards
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
I know enough to know that no woman should ever marry a man who hated his mother. Martha Gellhorn
The important thing is to always ask the world to do some things. But sometimes they cannot be done, so you have to take a stab, and you have to do them. Malala Yousafzai
The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. Yves Saint Laurent
I am grateful for all those dark years, even though in retrospect they seem like a long, bitter prayer that was answered finally. Marilynne Robinson
I like men who have a future and women who have a past. Oscar Wilde
If you overthink things, the moment will pass you by. Maya Moore
The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. Roseanne Barr
I just want women to always feel in control. Because we’re capable, we’re so capable. Nicki Minaj
A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men. Gloria Steinem
You draw your own box. You introduce yourself as who you are. You create the identity you want for yourself. Meghan Markle
Man can never know the loneliness a woman knows. Man lies in the woman’s womb only to gather strength, he nourishes himself from this fusion, and then he rises and goes into the world, into his work, into battle, into art. He is not lonely. He is busy. The memory of the swim in amniotic fluid gives him energy, completion. Woman may be busy too, but she feels empty. Sensuality for her is not only a wave of pleasure in which she is bathed, and a charge of electric joy at contact with another. When man lies in her womb, she is fulfilled, each act of love a taking of man within her, an act of birth and rebirth, of child rearing and man bearing. Man lies in her womb and is reborn each time anew with a desire to act, to be. But for woman, the climax is not in the birth, but in the moment man rests inside of her. Anaïs Nin
Anger is not inherently destructive. My anger can be a force for good. My anger can be creative and imaginative, seeing a better world that doesn’t yet exist. It can fuel a righteous movement toward justice and freedom. Austin Channing Brown
No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn’t in submission to God! T D Jakes
Love is not a weak, spineless emotion; it is a powerful moral force on the side of justice. Bernice King
The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then marry him. Cher
There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center. Jenny Han
I’m no model lady. A model’s just an imitation of the real thing. Mae West
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
Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. Khaled Hosseini
We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. Maya Angelou
Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody. Jane Austen
I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will. Amy Schumer
The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything. Freidrich Neitzsche
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller
There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty. Steve Maraboli
Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. Julie Andrews
Ladies who play with fire must remember that smoke gets in their eyes. Mae West
Don’t look at the big picture as the only achievement. Start with set, smart goals and work up to something bigger. Jordyn Wieber
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
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
Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Virginia Woolf
I encourage women to step up. Don’t wait for somebody to ask you. Reese Witherspoon
A witty woman is a treasure; a witty beauty is a power. George Meredith
You have to rely on your support system. Growing up, I always thought it was a sign of weakness to ask for help, but now I realize it’s really a sign of strength to say, I need help, I can’t do it all. Kerri Walsh
If you knew what was going to happen, if you knew everything that was going to happen next if you knew in advance the consequences of your own actions you’d be doomed. You’d be ruined as God. You’d be a stone. You’d never eat or drink or laugh or get out of bed in the morning. You’d never love anyone, ever again. You’d never dare to. Margaret Atwood
Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely, and we’re left with only the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it. Just stand there trembling, not moving. Assuming the worst that can happen. Or we step forward into the unknown, and assume it will be brilliant. Sandra Oh
To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation is that good for the world? Christopher Hitchens
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
A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up. Mae West
Power isn’t control at all power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own. Beth Revis
Tampon commercial, detergent commercial, maxi pad commercial, windex commercial you’d think all women do is clean and bleed. Gillian Flynn
Learn to embrace your own unique beauty, celebrate your unique gifts with confidence. Your imperfections are actually a gift. Kerry Washington
She’s the sort of woman who lives for others you can tell the others by their hunted expression. C.S. Lewis
There’s nothing wrong with a woman being comfortable, confident. Selena Gomez
I do not wish them women to have power over men; but over themselves. Mary Wollstonecraft
Be bold, be courageous, be your best. Gabrielle Giffords
How can I be reasonable? To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. It is not very pleasant to realize that to you it was only an episode. W. Somerset Maugham
Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears. Gillian Anderson
A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. Virginia Woolf
If we cultivate compassion for those who have hurt us, we have the possibility of overcoming our anger, pain, and fear. Compassion is a great medicine. Goldie Hawn
When a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier. Diane Von Furstenberg
If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing. Margaret Thatcher
Perhaps if we saw what was ahead of us, and glimpsed the follies, and misfortunes that would befall us later on, we would all stay in our mother’s wombs, and then there would be nobody in the world but a great number of very fat, very irritated women. Lemony Snicket
Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong. Sarah Dessen
A woman knows very well that, though a wit sends her his poems, praises her judgment, solicits her criticism, and drinks her tea, this by no means signifies that he respects her opinions, admires her understanding, or will refuse, though the rapier is denied him, to run through the body with his pen. Virginia Woolf
Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice. Bethany Hamilton
I can’t decide whether I’m a good girl wrapped up in a bad girl, or if I’m a bad girl wrapped up in a good girl. And that’s how I know I’m a woman! C. JoyBell C.
Enjoy life, study hard, play hard, be kind to other people, set high standards, and don’t be afraid to say No. Nia Long
Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence. Eleanor Roosevelt
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
But when a woman decides to sleep with a man, there is no wall she will not scale, no fortress she will not destroy, no moral consideration she will not ignore at its very root there is no God worth worrying about. Gabriel García Márquez
You can’t always control the circumstances only how you react to those circumstances; you can always control your attitude and your effort. Jennie Finch
Every woman that finally figured out her worth, has picked up her suitcases of pride and boarded a flight to freedom, which landed in the valley of change. Shannon L. Alder
I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head. Diana Spencer
The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself. Virginia Woolf
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
Why does a woman work ten years to change a man, then complain he’s not the man she married? Barbra Streisand
I would like to instill in people just to work hard. As long as they keep at it, their dreams will happen. Misty May Treanor
My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. Mary Wollstonecraft
I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. Mother Teresa
