150 Feminist Quotes That Celebrate Amazing Women

Celebrate your strength with these empowering feminist quotes.

For all the women who've ever felt oppressed.

For all the women whose voices have been hushed.

For all the women whose strength and value aren't recognized.

This one's for you.

Celebrate your strength as a strong, empowered woman with these 150 inspiring feminist quotes that describe the true meaning of feminism.

150 Feminist 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. “Life is not a competition between men and woman. It is a collaboration.” - David Alejandro Fearnhead

3. “The only thing required to be a woman is to identify as one. Period. End of story.” - Amanda Lovelace

4. “You deserve to be here. You deserve to exist. You deserve to take up space in this world of men.” - MacKenzi Lee

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

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

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

8. “What I am proud of, what seems so simply clear, is that feminism is a way to FIGHT for justice, always in short supply.” - Barbara Strickland

9. “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” - Gloria Steinem

10. “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” - Marie Shear

11. "To all the little girls who are watching this, 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." – Hillary Clinton

Related: Ignite Your Inner Fire With These 125 Empowering Quotes From Some Of The Strongest Women In History 

12. "I'm tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." – Madonna

13. "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

14. "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

15. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.” - Maya Angelou

16. "A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman." – Melinda Gates

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

18. "Feminism is for everybody." – Bell Hooks

19. "Words have power. TV has power. My pen has power." – Shonda Rhimes

20. "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

21. "We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead." - Beyoncé

22. "Women must learn to play the game as men do." – Eleanor Roosevelt

23. "No woman should be told she can't make decisions about her own body. When women's rights are under attack, we fight back." – Kamala Harris

24. "I am a woman with thoughts and questions and shit to say. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story—I will." – Amy Schumer

Related: Get It, Girl! 15 Girlboss Quotes to Remember When You’re Hustling to the Top 

25. "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

26. "In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders." – Sheryl Sandberg

27. "Women's freedom is the sign of social freedom." – Rosa Luxemburg

28. "Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men's chivalry to give them justice." – Hellen Keller

29. "Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another." – Toni Morrison

30. “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” – Brigham Young

31. “Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men. It does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a bitch or a dyke, it means you believe in equality.” – Kate Nash

32. “Though we have the courage to raise our daughters more like our sons, we’ve rarely had the courage to raise our sons like our daughters.” – Gloria Steinem

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

34. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

35. “My coach said I run like a girl. And I said if he ran a little faster he could too.” – Mia Hamm

36. “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” – Madeleine Albright

37. “My idea of feminism is self-determination, and it’s very open-ended: every woman has the right to become herself, and do whatever she needs to do.” – Ani DiFranco

38. “Women, we endure those cuts in so many ways that we don’t even notice we’re cut. We are living with small tiny cuts, and we are bleeding every single day. And we’re still getting up.” – Michelle Obama

39. “A huge part of being a feminist is giving other women the freedom to make choices you might not necessarily make yourself.” – Lena Dunham

40. "I love being a woman and I was not one of these women who rose through professional life by wearing men's clothes or looking masculine. I loved wearing bright colors and being who I am." — Madeleine Albright

41. “Feminism is not just about women; it’s about letting all people lead fuller lives.” – Jane Fonda

42. “There’s just as many different kinds of feminism as there are women in the world.” – Kathleen Hanna

43. “There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” – Virginia Woolf

44. “Feminisim’s agenda is basic: it asks that women not be forced to choose between public justice and private happiness.” – Susan Faludi

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

46. “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

47. “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." – Unknown

48. “Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde

49. “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” – Mary Shelley

50. “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.” – Michelle Obama

51. “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

52. “We need to stop telling the story about the woman who stayed at home, passive and dependent, waiting for her man. She wasn’t sitting around waiting. She was busy. She still is.”—Rebecca Solnit

53. “We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.”—Ursula K. LeGuin

54. "Do not live someone else's life and someone else's idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you." —Viola Davis

55. "I want every little girl who's told she's bossy to be told instead she has leadership skills." —Sheryl Sandberg

56. "I did everything he did but backwards and in high heels." —Ginger Rogers

57. "I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself." —Emma Stone

58. "Girls should never be afraid to be smart." —Emma Watson

59. "A girl should be two things: who and what she wants." —Coco Chanel

60. "Men don't age better than women, they're just allowed to age." —Carrie Fisher

61. "It will be great when it's not such a big deal when a woman does a good job." —Susan Sarandon

62. "Whisky, gambling, and Ferraris are better than housework." —Françoise Sagan

63. "Honoring our sexuality as women is a messy, messy business, but if we don't try, what do we become?" —Emily Ratajkowski

64. "I was the first woman to burn my bra—it took the fire department four days to put it out." —Dolly Parton

65. "It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and your real estate." —Amy Poehler

66. "My dad always said, 'Don't fit into the glass slipper like Cinderella did, shatter the glass ceiling.'" —Priyanka Chopra

67. "I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both." —Patricia Schroeder

68. "Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together." —Liz Taylor

69. "At 70 years old if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to use the word 'f—k off' much more frequently." —Helen Mirren

70. "We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn't a reality yet." —Beyoncé

71. "I'm just happy we live in a world where boys can play princesses and girls can play soldiers." —Taylor Swift

72. "I come in peace, but mean business." —Janelle Monáe

73. "Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be." —Elizabeth Gilbert

74. "I have learned that it is no one else's job to take care of me but me." —Beyoncé

75. "Don't let anyone tell you you're weak because you're a woman." —Mary Kom

76. "We've chosen the path to equality, don't let them turn us around." —Geraldine Ferraro

77. "Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness." —Oprah Winfrey

78. "The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." —Ayn Rand

79. “If men don't have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won't feel compelled to be submissive. If men don't have control, women don't have to be controlled." —Emma Watson

80. "Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched." —Mindy Kaling

81. "I am a feminist. I'm proud to be a feminist." —Justin Trudeau

82. "It's not about the dress you wear. It's about the life you lead in the dress." —Diana Vreeland

83. "I encourage women to step up. Don't wait for somebody to ask you." —Reese Witherspoon

84. "Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions. Do your thing, and don't care if they like it." —Tina Fey

85. "If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I'm going." —Jackie Joyner-Kersee

86. "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." —Amelia Earhart

87. "A man told me that for a woman, I was very opinionated. I said, 'For a man, you're kind of ignorant.'" —Anne Hathaway

88. "A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water." —Eleanor Roosevelt

89. "No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor." —Betty Friedan

90. "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." —Marilyn Monroe

91. "I myself have never been able to find out precisely what a feminist is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." —Rebecca West

92. "Women are complicated. Women are multifaceted. Not because women are crazy. But because people are crazy, and women happen to be people." —Tavi Gevinson

93. "Know what? Bitches get stuff done." —Tina Fey

94. "A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her own clothes." —Vera Wang

95. "I definitely think the idea of friend zone is just men going, 'This woman won't have sex with me.'" —Daniel Radcliffe

96. "All men should be feminists. If men care about women's rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered." —John Legend

97. "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." —Margaret Thatcher

98. "Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve." —Prince Harry

99. "I'm attracted to films that have strong female characters because there are strong female characters in my life." —Ryan Gosling

100. "I don't know a woman alive who isn't courageous." —Reese Witherspoon

101. “I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” ― Jane Austen

102. “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” ― Irina Dunn

103. “Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.”― Sheng Wang

104. “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”― Margaret Atwood

105. “Of all creatures that can feel and think, we women are the worst treated things alive” ― Euripides, Medea

106. “You deserve to be here. You deserve to exist. You deserve to take up space in this world of men.” ― Mackenzi Lee

107. “The bible and the church have been the greatest stumbling block in the way of women's emancipation.” ― Elizabeth Cady Stanton

108. “The point is not for women simply to take power out of men’s hands, since that wouldn’t change anything about the world. It’s a question precisely of destroying that notion of power.”― Simon De Beavoir

109. “I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real, or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage; and even then the submission is to reason, and not to man.” ― Mary Wollstonecraft

110. “I get angry when women disavow feminism and shun the feminist label but say they support all the advances born of feminism because I see a disconnect that does not need to be there.” ― Roxane Gay

111. “We need to stop telling [women], ‘Get a mentor and you will excel.’ Instead, we need to tell them, ‘Excel and you will get a mentor.’” ― Sheryl Sandberg

112. “Men are allowed to have passion and commitment for their work ... a woman is allowed that feeling for a man, but not her work.” ― Barbara Streisand

113. “Why is this the "new feminism" and not what it looks like: the old objectification?” ― Ariel Levy

114. “I'm not ashamed to dress 'like a woman' because I don't think it's shameful to be a woman.” ― Iggy Pop

115. “Cosmetic surgery processes the bodies of woman-made women, who make up the vast majority of its patient pool, into man-made women.” ― Naomi Wolf

116. “This is an important book, the critic assumes, because it deals with war. This is an insignificant book because it deals with the feelings of women in a drawing-room.” ― Virginia Woolf

117. “Because even subversive sarcasm adds a cool-girl nonchalance, an updated, sharper version of the expectation that women be forever pleasant, even as we're eating shit.” ― Jessica Valenti

118. “Matriarchy is a time-honored staple for any writer looking to invent an exotic society.” ― Marie Brennan

119. “If women ruled the world there would be no wars. But, we all would have been aborted.”― Christy Leigh Stewart

120. “A woman is human. She is not better, wiser, stronger, more intelligent, more creative, or more responsible than a man. Likewise, she is never less. Equality is a given. A woman is human.”― Vera Nazarian

121. “To understand feminism it implies one has to necessarily understand sexism.”― Bell Hooks

122. “Like other women who sought equality, the amount of trouble I cause is inversely proportional to my physical size.” ― Cassandra Duffy

123. “Feminism hasn't failed, it's just never been tried.” ― Hilary Mantel

124. “A woman’s place is in the House… and the Senate.” ― Kristin Hannah

125. “There are few women who go around actually feeling: Oh, what a fascinating feminine mystery I am.” ― Joanna Russ

126. “The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ” ― Roseanne Barr

127. “As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.” ― Virginia Woolf

128. “She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city” ― Roman Payne

129. “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”― Simone de Beauvoir

130. “Because when there is true equality, resentment does not exist.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

131. "A feminist is a person who believes in the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of anyone else. It’s equality, it’s fairness, and I think it’s a great thing to be a part of." - Zendaya

132. “I'm a firm believer in just having no shame in what you do and what you choose to do with your body." - Camila Mendes

133. “Anything a man can do, I can do.” - Cardi B

134. "I love having every right to be as outspoken as I am, as any man would be." - Chrisy Teigan

135. "To me, feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace, because it’s just basically another word for equality." - Taylor Swift

136. "You have what it takes to be a victorious, fearless, independent woman." - Tyra Banks

137. “Today, be the badass girl you were too busy to be yesterday” - Unkown

138. “Never apologize for being a powerful f*cking woman.” - Unknown

139. “Go get it girl!” - Unknown

140. “I think women are very powerful and I think we’re more powerful together than separated.” - Zendaya

141. “She looked into Kirsten's eyes and wondered how it is that a soldier fights and a savior suffers, but a woman, in lying down, rules everything.” ― Rebecca Coleman

142. “Men always laugh whenever a woman says she has political skill. But it's not such a difficult thing to master.” ― Libbie Hawker

143. “If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked? Nor does being a woman make a difference.” – Kalpana Chawla

144. “Who runs the world? Girls.” - Beyonce

145. “What’s a Queen without her King? Well, historically more powerful.” - Unknown

146. “Women who lead, read.” - Laura Bates

147. “Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong.”- Emma Watson

148. “I just thought: Oh goodness, you can wear nice clothes and get your hair done and still be a feminist and a serious intellectual.”― Jacqueline Rose

149. “Feminism is the radical idea that women’s safety is important.” - Unknown

150. “My own definition is a feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.” ―Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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