Feminist Quotes To Inspire Women To Pursue Their Dreams

These feminist quotes will motivate you to live your life to the fullest!

Being a feminist is defined as striving for equality between sexes in all matters, including the political, economic, personal, and social fields.

Many people believe that the first person to begin the feminist movement was Mary Wollstonecraft in 1792 when she released her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Feminism is generally divided into four “waves” split into the 19th and 20th centuries, the mid-20th century, the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and the period of 2012 through the present.

Some of the best-known feminists are Maya Angelou, Susan B. Anthony, Angela Davis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Although feminism has focused on different social matters at different times, the end goal is equality between men and women.

Take a look at these feminist quotes to learn more about feminism.

Best Feminist Quotes for Strong Women

Enjoy some of the most popular quotes for and from strong women.

1. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” — Maya Angelou

2. “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” — Marge Piercy

3. “She was a wild one; always stomping on eggshells that everyone else tip-toes on.” — Kaitlin Foster

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

5. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” — Ayn Rand

6. “I would have girls regard themselves not as adjectives but as nouns.” — Elizabeth Cady Stanton

7. “If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?” — Malala Yousafzai

8. “A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” — Maya Angelou

9. “Feminism is for everybody” — Bell Hooks

10. “A strong woman understands that the 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

Feminist Quotes from the Past

Take a look at the words from strong women of the past.

11. “Women are the real architects of society.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

12. “I think the degree of a nation’s civilization may be measured by the degree of enlightenment of its women.” — Helen Keller

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

14. “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher

15. “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

16. “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

17. “The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself.” — Virginia Woolf

18. “We want rights. The flour-merchant, the house-builder, and the postman charge us no less on account of our sex; but when we endeavor to earn money to pay all these, then, indeed, we find the difference.” — Lucy Stone

19. “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” — Abigail Adams

20. “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

Feminist Quotes from Famous Women

Singers, actresses, politicians, and more have weighed in with their thoughts and beliefs on feminism.

21. “Don’t let anyone speak for you, and don’t rely on others to fight for you.” — Michelle Obama

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

23. “Find a sense of self. With that, you can do anything else.” — Angelina Jolie

24. “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” — Judy Garland

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

26. “Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with.” — Emma Watson

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. “Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with.” — Emma Watson

29. “I believe the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st Century.” — Hillary Clinton

30. “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

Empowering Feminist Quotes

These women have worked to motivate and inspire other women through their words and actions.

31. “I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now; it’d be stupid not to be on my own side.” — Maya Angelou

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

33. “My advice, as in everything, is to read widely and think for yourself. We need more dissent and less dogma.” — Camille Paglia

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

35. “Of course, I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

36. “Women need to shift from thinking “I’m not ready to do that” to thinking “I want to do that- and I’ll learn by doing it.” — Sheryl Sandberg

37. “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

38. “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” — Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

39. “To all the little girls who are watching, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” — Hilary Clinton

40. “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

Feminist Quotes on the Beauty of Women

More strong words from women on the strength and beauty of women.

41. “I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong.” — Amy Schumer

42. “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant to be your own person, be independent.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

43. “I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.” — Maya Angelou

44. “I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world.” — Meryl Streep

45. “There’s something so 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

46. “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

47. “The emerging woman … will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, strong-souled, and strong-bodied … strength and beauty must go together.” — Louisa May Alcott

48. “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” — Brigham Young

49. “Do not live someone else’s life and someone else’s idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you.” — Viola Davis

50. “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

Do All Women Agree With the Feminist Movement?

The answer to the question above is no; not all women agree with the current movement, but most all women agree that the sexes should be equal.

There is a group of women that may not be “anti-feminist,” but they believe that equality has been reached in many areas and do not agree with some of the goals of modern feminists.

This movement is called postfeminism and mainly encompasses changing viewpoints of the movement since the 1980s.

Please share these Feminist quotes with your friends and post any comments about the feminist movement in the comment section below.