40 Inspirational Quotes to Share on International Women’s Day

Today it’s International Women’s Day (JIF) and this year’s theme is #InspireInclusion.

International Women’s Day is not only a day to celebrate women’s achievements, but also a global call to action. This year, the organizers of International Women’s Day are calling on everyone to imagine a world where gender equality reigns for all, where discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices no longer exist, and where diversity is celebrated for the richness it brings to the global community.

Because empowerment is a collective effort. When you empower yourself, you empower others. When you lift up marginalized voices, the entire community rises. Here are some quotes that inspire empowerment, break gender norms and gender binaries, champion the body you’re in, and celebrate pleasure.

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

2. “I am not free until a woman is free, even when her chains are very different from mine.” – ALorde Bed

3. If people were silent, nothing would change.” – Malala Yousafzi

4. “Not everyone who identifies as a woman has a pussy, and your identity as a woman has nothing to do with pussy.” – Ericka Hart

5. “I can’t imagine a better representation of beauty than a person who is willing to be themselves.” – Emma Stone

6. “It’s okay if you fall and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you get back up as the whole fire.” – Colette Werden

7. “Radical self-love requires that we see ourselves and others in the fullness of our complexities and intersections and work to create space for those intersections.” – Sonya Renee Taylor

8. “If a woman feels that she needs something beyond herself to legitimize and validate her existence, she has already given up her power to define herself, her power to act.” – BEll hooks

9. “The only person who will never leave us, whom we will never lose, is ourselves. Learning to love our feminine self is the starting point of our quest for love.” – BEll hooks

10. “Don’t try to put yourself down in the eyes of the world; let the world catch up with you.” – Beyoncé

11. “I don’t kiss anybody’s butt.” – Dolly Parton

12. “What keeps me going is this quest to be present and to be myself. Not for others, but for myself.” – Janet Mock

13. “A girl should be two things: who she wants and what she wants.” – Coco Chanel

14. “Of course, I’m not afraid to intimidate men.. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I am not interested in.” – Chimanda Ngozi Adichie

15. “Women are not broken versions of men; they are women.” – Emily Nagoski

16. “Women deserve better than propaganda and lies to get in their pants. Propaganda and lies to get into public office, to get out of court, to get out of alimony. Get out of our decisions and give us back our voice. Women deserve better; women deserve a choice.” – Sonya Renee Taylor

17. “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to others. We are stronger when we encourage each other.” – Serena Williams

18. “If we love ourselves, if we feel that love deeply, and if we live that love deeply, we cannot be defeated.” – Alice Walker

19. “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.” – Emma Watson.

20. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people don’t accept that I can do something else.” – Dolly Parton

21. “Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.” – Amelia Earheart

22. “My mother said to me, ‘You know, honey, someday you should settle down and marry a rich man.’ And I said, ‘Mom, I’m a rich man.’” – Cher

23. “When girls are given the tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures, not only for themselves, but for those around them.” – Meghan Markle

24. “Sometimes people try to destroy you precisely because they recognize your power—not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist. – Janet Mock

25. “There is something special about a woman who dominates a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness and courage to never take ‘no’ for an answer.” – Rihanna

26. “We need women at all levels, including at the highest levels, to change the dynamic, to reshape the debate, to ensure that women’s voices are heard and taken into account, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg.

27. “As women gain power, barriers fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women doing things, and we will all be better off.” – Ruth Bader Ginsberg

28. “Well-bred women seldom make history.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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

30. “We want a world in which boys can feel, girls can lead, and the rest of us can not only exist but thrive. This is not about erasing men and women, but rather recognizing that men and women are two stars among many, stars in a constellation that do not compete with each other but amplify each other’s brilliance.” – Alok Vaid-Menon

31. “I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, fine.” – Madonna

32. “She has been through hell, so believe me when I tell you she is to be feared when she looks into the fire and smiles.” – E. Corona

33. “I am tired of living in a world where women are lied to about their bodies; where women are objects of sexual desire but not subjects of sexual pleasure; where sex is used as a weapon against women; and where women believe their bodies are broken, simply because they are not men’s. And I am tired of living in a world where women are trained from birth to treat their bodies as the enemy.” – Emily Nagoski

34. “What is the greatest lesson a woman should learn? From day one, she has everything she needs within her. It is the world that has convinced her otherwise.” – Rupi Kaur

35. “The world said ‘be invisible’ but she heard ‘be invincible’” – Unknown

36. “A woman is like a tea bag: you don’t know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

37. “Remember that the day you were born, your body was a cause for celebration, for unconditional love, and that’s just as true today as it was then.” – Emily Nagoski

38. “Some of us become the men we wanted to marry.” – Gloria Steinem

39. “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman fights for others.” – Unknown

40. “Women represent more than half of the world’s population and potential. It is neither fair nor practical that their voices, nor ours, are not heard at the highest levels of decision-making. To change this, in my view, we must mobilize girls and women to realize their value as leaders and support them in their efforts.” – Meghan Markle