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.

Anubhuti Mishra
Written by Anubhuti Mishra , Relationship Expert
Updated on Sep 06, 2024 | 12:41 PM IST | 119.3K
strong women quotes
strong women quotes

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. 

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Best Quotes About Women Being Strong

strong women quotes

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

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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

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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

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.

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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 

Strong Woman Quotes

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

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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

strong women quotes

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

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Strong Lady Quotes That’ll Keep You Motivated

strong women quotes

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

strong women quotes

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

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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

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

strong women quotes

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
 

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Brave Woman Quotes About Being Strong

strong women quotes

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

strong women 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

strong women quotes

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

strong women 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

strong women quotes

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

strong women quotes

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

FAQ's

What to say to inspire a woman?
You can inspire a woman by sending or sharing a couple of motivational quotes daily.

How do I motivate my girl?
You can motivate your girl by sharing inspirational and positive “be strong” quotes.

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About The Author
Anubhuti Mishra
Anubhuti Mishra
Relationship Expert

A marked inclination toward understanding human emotions and relationships led Anubhuti to become a certified Relationship Expert. With dual

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