Some of the most powerful words ever spoken came from women who refused to sit quietly. They led movements, broke barriers, built empires, and changed the way we think about courage, strength, and what it means to show up for yourself.
Their words still hit hard today. Whether you’re going through a rough patch, chasing a goal that scares you, or simply need a reminder of your own power—these voices have something for you.
What follows is a collection of quotes from women across generations and backgrounds, each one carrying a spark that might be exactly what your day needs.
Inspirational Quotes by Women
These quotes cover everything from resilience and ambition to self-love and purpose. Save the ones that speak to you, share them freely, and let them fuel whatever you’re building right now.
Message 1
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” — Melinda Gates
Message 2
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” — Rosa Parks
Message 3
“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” — Beyoncé
Message 4
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Message 5
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” — Angela Davis
Message 6
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey
Message 7
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — Maya Angelou
Message 8
“You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.” — Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Message 9
“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” — Malala Yousafzai
Message 10
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” — Coco Chanel
Message 11
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton
Message 12
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” — Michelle Obama
Message 13
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.” — Estée Lauder
Message 14
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
Message 15
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life—and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” — Georgia O’Keeffe
Message 16
“Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.” — Beyoncé
Message 17
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” — Ayn Rand
Message 18
“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the globe.” — Hillary Clinton
Message 19
“I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.” — Maya Angelou
Message 20
“A woman is like a tea bag—you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Message 21
“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up.” — Serena Williams
Message 22
“I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.” — Mary Shelley
Message 23
“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
Message 24
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron
Message 25
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Message 26
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” — Mother Teresa
Message 27
“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a b****, okay.” — Madonna
Message 28
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” — Amelia Earhart
Message 29
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” — Malala Yousafzai
Message 30
“I have stood on a mountain of no’s for one yes.” — B. Smith
Message 31
“You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” — Shonda Rhimes
Message 32
“I learned a long time ago that there is something worse than missing the goal, and that’s not pulling the trigger.” — Mia Hamm
Message 33
“A strong woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink.” — Gina Carey
Message 34
“I am a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” — Maya Angelou
Message 35
“Where there is a woman, there is magic.” — Ntozake Shange
Message 36
“The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first.” — Iyanla Vanzant
Message 37
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher
Message 38
“I’m not going to limit myself because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” — Dolly Parton
Message 39
“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.” — Louise Hay
Message 40
“Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.” — Oprah Winfrey
Message 41
“You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.” — Melissa Etheridge
Message 42
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” — Coco Chanel
Message 43
“Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.” — Janis Joplin
Message 44
“Your silence will not protect you.” — Audre Lorde
Message 45
“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.” — Emma Stone
Message 46
“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.” — Ruth Gordon
Message 47
“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
Message 48
“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.” — Audrey Hepburn
Message 49
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” — Marie Curie
Message 50
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Message 51
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” — Maya Angelou
Message 52
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Message 53
“You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.” — Leymah Gbowee
Message 54
“Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.” — C. JoyBell C.
Message 55
“I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Message 56
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” — Lucille Ball
Message 57
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Sheryl Sandberg
Message 58
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” — Simone de Beauvoir
Message 59
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” — J.K. Rowling
Message 60
“I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.” — Joan Rivers
Message 61
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin
Message 62
“Whatever you do, be different. That was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice.” — Katherine Hepburn
Message 63
“You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” — Mary Tyler Moore
Message 64
“You have what it takes to be a victorious, independent, fearless woman.” — Tyra Banks
Message 65
“Done is better than perfect.” — Sheryl Sandberg
Message 66
“I am my best work—a series of road maps, reports, recipes, doodles, and prayers from the front lines.” — Audre Lorde
Message 67
“Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.” — Hillary Clinton
Message 68
“We do not need magic to change the surroundings. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.” — J.K. Rowling
Message 69
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” — Katharine Hepburn
Message 70
“I am a woman with thoughts and questions and things to say. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong.” — Amy Schumer
Message 71
“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint.” — Oprah Winfrey
Message 72
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more.” — Oprah Winfrey
Message 73
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” — Alice Walker
Message 74
“I want every girl to know that her voice can change everything.” — Malala Yousafzai
Message 75
“When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.” — Michelle Obama
Message 76
“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard.” — Sheryl Sandberg
Message 77
“I didn’t belong as a kid, and that always bothered me. If only I’d known that one day my differentness would be an asset.” — Bette Midler
Message 78
“Don’t let anyone tell you you’re weak because you’re a woman.” — Mary Kom
Message 79
“There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s environment. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence.” — Rihanna
Message 80
“I alone cannot change everything, but I can throw a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” — Mother Teresa
Message 81
“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” — Brigham Young (often attributed to various women leaders)
Message 82
“I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.” — Audrey Hepburn
Message 83
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” — Gloria Steinem
Message 84
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Message 85
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” — Maya Angelou
Message 86
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” — Maya Angelou
Message 87
“I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance.” — bell hooks
Message 88
“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” — Rosalynn Carter
Message 89
“Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” — Michelle Obama
Message 90
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Message 91
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” — Audre Lorde
Message 92
“Women are leaders everywhere you look—from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children.” — Nancy Pelosi
Message 93
“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” — Mae Jemison
Message 94
“I was raised to be an independent woman, not the victim of anything.” — Kamala Harris
Message 95
“I believe in strong women. I believe in the woman who is able to stand up for herself.” — C. JoyBell C.
Message 96
“I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values—and follow my own moral compass—then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” — Michelle Obama
Message 97
“Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book.” — Malala Yousafzai
Message 98
“You can be the lead in your own life.” — Kerry Washington
Message 99
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” — Oprah Winfrey
Message 100
“I’m convinced that we Black women possess a special indestructible strength that allows us to not only get down, but to get up, to get through, and to get over.” — Janet Jackson
Wrapping Up
These 100 quotes carry something you can actually use—today, this week, whenever you need a push forward. Save your favorites to your phone, pin them to your desk, or text one to a friend who could use the boost. Words like these have a way of showing up at exactly the right time.
The women behind these quotes faced setbacks, criticism, and plenty of closed doors. Yet they kept going and kept speaking up. Let their courage and their voices be fuel for yours.
Your story is still being written. Make it a bold one.