The power of words can change the world. Feminist quotes have inspired generations, sparking movements and igniting change. They remind us of the ongoing fight for equality and justice.
From historic figures to contemporary voices, these quotes carry wisdom and strength. They offer clarity in times of confusion and hope in moments of despair. Read on to find some of the most powerful feminist quotes that continue to inspire and uplift.
Inspiring Feminist Quotes
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
“Feminism is for everybody.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“The only thing required to be a woman is to identify as one.”
“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”
“You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone.”
“Strong women don’t play victim, don’t make themselves look pitiful, and don’t point fingers. They stand and they deal.”
“Gender equality must become a lived reality.”
“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.”
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
“You deserve to be here. You deserve to exist. You deserve to take up space in this world of men.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”
“Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women.”
“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.”
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
Historical Feminist Quotes
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“I am not ashamed to dress ‘like a woman’ because I don’t think it’s shameful to be a woman.”
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
“There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless’. There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.”
“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
“The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself.”
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
“I can hear the roar of women’s silence.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“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.”
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”
“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.”
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
“Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
“Feminism is not just about women; it’s about letting all people live fuller lives.”
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“The best protection any woman can have… is courage.”
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.”
Contemporary Feminist Quotes
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.”
“It’s not my responsibility to be beautiful. I’m not alive for that purpose. My existence is not about how desirable you find me.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.”
“You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your coworkers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female’.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”
“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard… We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”
“Feminism is not just about women; it’s about letting all people live fuller lives.”
“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”
“We should all be feminists.”
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
“Women are not inherently passive or peaceful. We’re not inherently anything but human.”
“I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”
“I don’t know what I want, but I do know that I want to break boundaries.”
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”
“There’s no prerequisite for worthiness. You’re born worthy, and I think that’s a message a lot of women need to hear.”
“Some women fear the fire. Some women simply become it.”
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
“We all move forward when we recognize how resilient and striking the women around us are.”
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
Empowering Feminist Quotes
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“Here’s to strong women: may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“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.”
“Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it.”
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
“Females are strong as hell.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
“Women are the real architects of society.”
“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.”
“Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts — good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt.”
“She believed she could, so she did.”
“Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong.”
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.”
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”
“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“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.”
Feminist Quotes by Activists
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“I declare to you that women must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”
“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”
“When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.”
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
“There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free, and educated woman.”
“The future is female.”
“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.”
“Feminism is for everybody.”
“Women are the real architects of society.”
“There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.”
“Men of quality respect women’s equality.”
“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.”
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
“Why are women always described as having ‘grace’ and men ‘power’?”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“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.”
Feminist Quotes in Literature
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.”
“I am my own woman.”
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.”
“The future is female.”
“She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.”
“Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
“Women are the real architects of society.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”
“The most beautiful thing a woman can wear is confidence.”
“You don’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.”
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”
“The best protection any woman can have is courage.”
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
“I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.”
“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”
“A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.”
“Real queens fix each other’s crowns.”
Feminist Quotes from Politics
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?”
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
“Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights.”
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.”
“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.”
“When there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit.”
“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.”
“The only way to deal with the world’s sexism and violence is to eliminate patriarchy.”
“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.”
“There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.”
“Women’s freedom is the sign of social freedom.”
“We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves.”
“Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development, and building good governance.”
“The best protection any woman can have is courage.”
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
“Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility.”
“Empower a woman, empower a community.”
“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.”
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
“Women’s rights are human rights.”
Feminist Quotes on Equality
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.”
“Equality is not just a word. It’s a feeling and an experience that we all deserve.”
“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”
“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
“When women support each other, incredible things happen.”
“We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced.”
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
“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.”
“Do not live someone else’s life and someone else’s idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you.”
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”
“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“Feminism is for everybody.”
“The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that … women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves.”
“The best protection any woman can have is courage.”
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
“Why have there been no great women artists?”
“Girls should never be afraid to be smart.”
“Feminism is not about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Women have always been the strong ones of the world.”
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
“Empowerment isn’t a buzzword. It’s the change we need.”
Closing Thoughts
These feminist quotes show the power of women’s voices throughout history. They remind us of the strength and determination women have shown in the fight for equality. Each quote offers a piece of wisdom, encouraging us to continue pushing for change.
Reflecting on these words can inspire both women and men to work together for a fairer world. Feminist quotes are not just for women; they speak to anyone who believes in justice and equality. With these quotes, we can keep the conversation going and make sure every voice is heard.
