Famous Quotes by Women

Inspire your students with these famous quotes by women! We can all use a little motivation from time to time, so why not share these words of wisdom from some of the most successful and powerful people in history? These women and their famous quotes are perfect for getting things fired up in the classroom during Women’s History Month or anytime.

Famous Quotes by Women

“If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” – Erica Jong

“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is most important.” – Junko Tabei

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” – Helen Keller

“I am thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” – Alex Elle

“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” – Coco Chanel

“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

“Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyways.” – Glennon Doyle

“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg

“I figure, if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.” – Calamity Jane

“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. … We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.” – Malala Yousafzai

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” – Melinda Gates

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” – Beyoncé

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. … It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“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

“I feel now that the time is come when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” – Michelle Obama

“Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.” – Coretta Scott King

“She does not know what the future holds, but she is grateful for slow and steady growth.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

“A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.” – Carly Simon

“Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men’s chivalry to give them justice.” – Helen Keller

“When black women win victories, it is a boost for virtually every segment of society.” – Angela Davis

“One of the secrets to staying young is to always do things you don’t know how to do, to keep learning.” – Ruth Reichl

“Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.” – Pink

“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

“Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper.” – Julia Child

“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations, can never effect a reform.” – Susan B. Anthony

“Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.” – Arianna Huffington

“There is a stubbornness about me that can never bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” – Jane Austen

“Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.” – Simone de Beauvoir

“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” – Golda Meir

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!” – Dolly Parton

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” – Barbara Corcoran

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” – Frida Kahlo

“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams

“When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” – Carol Burnett

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light.” – Frida Kahlo

“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.” – Estée Lauder

“If you can dance and be free and not be embarrassed, you can rule the world.” – Amy Poehler

“Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.” – Marie Curie

“Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.” – Shirley Chisholm

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“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

“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” – Indira Gandhi

“You can show more of the reality of yourself instead of hiding behind a mask for fear of revealing too much.” – Betty Friedan

“I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story—I will.” – Amy Schumer

“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“Tolerance and compassion are active, not passive states, born of the capacity to listen, to observe, and to respect others.” – Indira Gandhi

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou

“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

“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.” – Louise Hay

Enjoy these famous quotes by women? Check out these 80+ Beautiful Poetry Quotes To Share With Students.

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