140+ Strong Women Quotes to Feel Confident And Empowered
Read our collection of strong women quotes and get ready to take on the world with your head held high. The profound words are a source of great inspiration.
Women are inherently built with a lot of perseverance and strength, which is often overlooked or yet to be discovered — either by themselves or the societies they live in. They deserved to be celebrated for their tenacity not with gifts but with profound words. Words have immense power to inspire, motivate, and heal. Undoubtedly, the impact of strong women quotes is immeasurable. They help women feel a lot more confident and empowered.
“Reading quotes and motivational messages can help women by providing inspiration, boosting self-confidence, and offering encouragement during challenging times. These positive affirmations can reinforce their goals, foster resilience, and remind them of their strengths, helping to uplift and motivate them in their personal and professional lives.” says our contributor, Niloufer Esmeilpour, a Clinical Counselor.
Inspirational quotes or paragraphs aid women in navigating through all odds of life. Instead, they are a constant source of motivation that allows them to take on the world with heads held high. Their courage and countless contributions to the family, society, and communities have revolutionized the course of history.
Each time a woman stands for herself, she stands for the women of the world. She doesn’t need any additional superpowers. She is a woman and that’s her superpower! Whether she is aspiring to reach her personal goals or aiming to meet her long-term professional commitments, a compilation of strong quotes about being strong can ultimately help her shape the world in the way she dreams of.
Best Quotes About Women Being Strong
1. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou
2. "You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman." — Mary Elizabeth Winstead
3. "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
4. “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
5. “Life is about finding yourself, embracing your strengths and weaknesses, and being true to who you are.” — Oprah Winfrey
6. "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
7. "If you can dance and be free and be embarrassed, you can rule the world." — Amy Poehler
8. "We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves.” — Shirley Chisholm
9. "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." — Maya Angelou
10. "Fill your life with women that empower you, that help you believe in your magic and aid them to believe in their own exceptional power and their incredible magic too. 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
11. "My best successes came on the heels of failures." — Barbara Corcoran
12. "Life is tough, my darling, but so are you." — Stephanie Bennett-Henry
13. "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
14. "What if the things that have caused the most hurt in your life became the birthplaces of your deepest passions?” — Jennie Allen
15. "We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly." — Margaret Atwood
Inspirational Strong Woman Quotes
16. "Stay strong. Stand up. Have a voice." — Shawn Johnson
17. "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do." — Eleanor Roosevelt
18. "Life is very interesting... in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths." — Drew Barrymore
19. "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
20. "I believe in strong women. I believe in the woman who is able to stand up for herself. I believe in the woman who doesn't need to hide behind her husband's back. I believe that if you have problems, as a woman you deal with them, you don't play victim, you don't make yourself look pitiful, you don't point fingers. You stand and you deal. You face the world with a head held high and you carry the universe in your heart." — C. JoyBell C.
21. "Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King
22. "I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” — Simone Biles
23. "Perhaps some detours aren’t detours at all. Perhaps they are actually the path.” — Katherine Wolf
24. "Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else." — Maya Angelou
25. "You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
Quotes for Strong And Confident Women
26. "If you can dance and be free and not embarrassed, you can rule the world." — Amy Pohler
27. “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman, but the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” — Melinda Gates
28. “Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” — Rosa Parks
29. “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
30. “I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.” ― Amy Tan
31. "In too many instances, the march to globalization has also meant the marginalization of women and girls. And that must change." — Hillary Clinton
32. “Alone she goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world.” — Elizabeth Stanton
33. "Women who had the strength to really stand up for something that they knew needed to be done is the best example of no matter how small you might feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what color you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right." — Meghan Markle
34. “In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher
35. “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
Empowering Quotes About Strong Women
36. "Feminism isn't about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It's about changing the way the world perceives that strength." — G.D. Anderson
37. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” ― Estée Lauder
38. "We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated." — Maya Angelou
39. “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform.” — Diane Mariechild
40. “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
41. “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” ― Melinda Gates
42. “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
43. "But the real secret to total gorgeousness is to believe in yourself, have self-confidence, and try to be secure in your decisions and thoughts." — Kirsten Dunst
44. "I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” — Margaret Thatcher
45. “I try to live in a little bit of my own joy and not let people steal it or take it.” — Hoda Kotb
Strong Lady Quotes That’ll Keep You Motivated
46. “Strong women don’t play the victim. Don’t make themselves look pitiful and don’t point fingers. They stand and they deal.” — Mandy Hale
47. "Being a strong woman is very important to me. But doing it all on my own is not.” — Reba McEntire
48. “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
49. "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
50. "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
51. " People have to go through things in order to become the person that they are today and that’s that." — Sarah Hyland
52. "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
53. "We might not be able to change our circumstances, but we CAN change our attitude." — Beth Moore
54. "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
55. “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
Quotes About a Strong Lady with a Touch of Humour
56. "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle." — Gloria Steinem
57. "I married beneath me. All women do." — Nancy Astor
58. "When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad, I’m better." — Mae West
59. "I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn't last long." — Shelley Winters
60. "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." — Virginia Woolf
61. "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
62. "If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." — Katharine Hepburn
63. "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
64. "I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it." — Marilyn Monroe
Powerful Strong Women Quotes
65. "Love yourself first and everything else falls into line." — Lucille Ball
66. "She is water. Strong enough to drown you, soft enough to cleanse you, and deep enough to save you." — Rupi Kaur
67. "You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what you know is right." — Aung San Suu Kyi
68. "I am thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength." — Alex Elle
69. "You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody." — Maya Angelou
70. "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." — Anne Frank
71. "You can fall, but you can rise also.” — Angélique Kidjo
72. "The most important thing one woman can do for another is expand her sense of actual possibilities." — Adrienne Rich
73. "The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." — Ayn Rand
74. "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
Read More: 60+ Powerful Inner Beauty Quotes for Self-love And Positivity
Short Quotes About Being Strong
75. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” ― Oprah Winfrey
76. “Some leaders are born women.” ― Geraldine Ferraro
77. “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
78. “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
79. “Her own thoughts and reflections were habitually her best companions.” — Jane Austen
80. “Am I good enough? Yes, I am.” ― Michelle Obama
81. “Behind every great woman ... is another great woman.” ― Kate Hodges
82. “I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man.” — Sojourner Truth
83. “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” — Amelia Earhart
84. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”― Dolly Parton
Brave Woman Quotes About Being Strong
85. “And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” — Mark Anthony
86. "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
87. “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
88. “She was a wild one; always stomping on eggshells that everyone else tip-toed on.” — Kaitlin Foster
89. “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” — Helen Keller
90. “She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.” — Atticus
91. "Work hard every day. No matter what your strengths and weaknesses, there's no substitute for hard work." — Hope Solo
92. “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
93. "True champions aren't always the ones that win, but those with the most guts." — Mia Hamm
94. "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
95. “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everybody else.” — Unknown
Strong And Independent Woman Quotes
96. "I like being a strong, independent woman, and to be honest, I was never afraid to be on my own." — Dido Armstrong
97. “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” — Judy Garland
98. “You must know that you can do this. You are strong. And you will make it. Just hang on and keep believing in yourself, always.” — Heather A. Stillufsen
99. “A strong woman understands that gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.” — Nancy Rathburn
100. “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.” — Pink
101. “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” — Ziad K. Abdelnour
102. "Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, 'She doesn't have what it takes.' They will say, 'Women don't have what it takes.'" — Clare Boothe Luce
103. “You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” — Rosalynn Carter
104. "Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness." — Oprah Winfrey
105.“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
Strong Women Quotes for Successful Ladies
106.“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” — Albert Einstein
107.“Figure out who are you separate from your family, and the man or woman you’re in a relationship with. Find who you are in this world and what you need to feel good alone. I think that’s the most important thing in life. Find a sense of self. With that, you can do anything else.” — Angelina Jolie
108. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” — Ayn Rand
109. “Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.” — Jennifer Lopez
110. “Don’t let anyone speak for you, and don’t rely on others to fight for you.” — Michelle Obama
111. “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
112. “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
113. “Women are leaders everywhere you look—from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.” — Nancy Pelosi
114. “I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story—I will.” — Amy Schumer
115. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” — Oprah Winfrey
Positive ‘Be Strong’ Quotes
116. "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
117. "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
118. “I think the truth of the matter is, people who end up as ‘first’ don’t actually set out to be first. They set out to do something they love and it just so happens that they are the first to do it.” — Condoleezza Rice
119. “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.” — Audrey Hepburn
120. “A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.” — Carly Simon
121. “Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.” — Amelia Earhart
122. “You must know that you can do this. You are strong. And you will make it. Just hang on and keep believing in yourself, always.” — Heather A. Stillufsen
123. “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
124. “Once you figure out what respect tastes like, it tastes better than attention.” — Pink
125. “Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.” — Hillary Rodham Clinton
Motivating Quotes About a Strong Woman
126. “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
127. “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” — Marge Piercy
128. “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” — Sheryl Sandberg
129. “I am a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.” — Maya Angelou
130. “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
131. “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
132. “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” — Charlotte Whitton
133. “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher
134. “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind learning.” — Amy Poehler
135. “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
Quotes from Strong Women
136. "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." — Helen Keller
137. "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
138. “I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” — Cheryl Strayed
139. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron
140. "A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water." — Eleanor Roosevelt
141. "I love hearing educated people speak and just shut everyone up. Knowledge is always the loudest voice." — Zendaya
142. "If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.” — Mindy Kaling
143. "Life is very interesting... in the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths." — Drew Barrymore
144. “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved, women who live bravely, both tender and fierce, women of indomitable will.” — Amy Tenney
145. "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
Such a collection of strong women quotes inspires her to live in the world of gender stereotypes, expectations, and perceptions more fearlessly. These profound words also help shield her from the cons that pull her down. Rather, they act as cues that give her the freedom to accomplish something incredible.
For a courageous woman, personal triumphs, professional commitments, cultural achievements, and hardships make her resilient and courageous, with strength being her biggest asset. Such a powerful, inspirational, and motivational bank of quotes fuels her with much-needed confidence to be herself unapologetically.
Contributor: Niloufer Esmailpour