In case you didn’t know, March is Women’s History Month! Here’s the strong women. May we know them, may we be them, and may be raise them! It may be cliché, but it’s also a pretty dang powerful sentiment. To help spread some girl power over the next few weeks, I’ve curated a collection of my favorite inspirational female quotes from a handful of the world’s most renown girlbosses. They’re not all about being female either. Some are about hope, some are about business, and some are just about life in general. They’re simply wise words from women who’ve made a significant impact on society and have helped pave the way for entrepreneurs like me and you to achieve our dreams.

Anyways, I hope these inspirational female quotes inspire you as much as they motivate me! Feel free to share on your Pinterest boards, save to your desktops, or enjoy them however you like. These quote graphics are for all of us!

Inspirational Female Quotes to Live By

1. “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” –Margaret Thatcher

Who was Margaret Thatcher? She was Europe’s first prime minister– and the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. Known as the Iron Lady and portrayed by Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, Margaret Thatcher essentially became the most well-known British political leader since Winston Churchill.

Books by Margaret Thatcher: Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography

2. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me. It’s who is going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand

Who was Ayn Rand? Ayn Rand is the pen name for Alice O’Connor, a Russian-born American novelist-philosopher. Regarded as an equally famous and controversial figure, she developed the system of philosophy known as Objectivism. 

Books by Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, Anthem

3. “I firmly believe you never should spend your time being the former anything.” -Condoleezza Rice

Who is Condoleezza Rice? Condoleezza Rice was appointed national security advisor by President George W. Bush in 2001, making her the first woman to hold the post. She also served as the 66th Secretary of State to President George W. Bush from 2005-2009, making her the first Black woman in that position, as well. 

Books by Condoleezza Rice: No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington

4. “A woman is like a tea bag—you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Who was Eleanor Roosevelt? Eleanor Roosevelt is the longest-serving first lady of the United States. She was known for her advocacy for women’s rights, particularly for those in the working class, and the advancement of women in professional and political positions.

Books by Eleanor Roosevelt: The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt 

5. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” –Oprah Winfrey

Who is Oprah Winfrey? I seriously doubt Oprah needs an introduction, but here goes– Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi. Through hard work and determination, she became one of America’s most successful talk show hosts, producers, authors, and philanthropists. Oprah has also been named the greatest Black philanthropist in the US history and one of the most (if not the most) influential women in the world on several occasions. 

Books by Oprah Winfrey: What I Know For Sure, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

6. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” –Alice Walker

Who is Alice Walker? Alice Walker is an American novelist, author, poet, and social activist. She wrote The Color Purple and became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1982. 

Books by Alice Walker: The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens (among others)

7. “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

Who is Malala Yousafzai? An open advocate for girls’ education and equality, Malala survived a shot in the head by a member of the Pakistani Taliban in 2012. After ten days in a medically-induced coma, she continued her activism for human rights and founded the Malala Fund with her father. She also became the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate at age 17.

Books by Malala: We Are Displaced, Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

8. “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” -Shonda Rhimes

Who is Shonda Rhimes? The odds that you haven’t already watched one of Shonda Rhimes’ shows are slim. As the owner of a production company called Shondaland, she’s best known as the creator, lead writer, and executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy (for which she received awards from the Writers Guild of America and Producers Guild of America), Private Practice, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. She recently added Bridgerton and Inventing Anna to her list of massive successes, as well. 

Books by Shonda Rhimes: Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person

9. “You don’t get taken seriously by asking someone to take you seriously. You’ve got to show up and own it. If this is a man’s world, who cares? I’m still really glad to be a girl in it.” –Sophia Amoruso

Who is Sophia Amoruso? Sophia Amoruso is the American businesswoman who coined the term girlboss. After building a successful vintage eBay store, she founded Nasty Gal, a women’s fashion retailer that was dubbed one of the fastest-growing companies in 2015. After (unexpectedly) filing for bankruptcy in 2016, she founded Girlboss Media, a company that creates content geared towards helping millennial woman progress both personally and professionally. 

Books by Sophia Amoruso: #Girlboss, Nasty Galaxy

10. “There are two kinds of people– those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.” -Indira Gandhi

Who was Indira Gandhi? Indira Gandhi was an Indian politician who served as prime minister of India from 1966 until 1977 and again from 1980 until she was assassinated in 1984. She was and still is (to date) the first and only female prime minster of India. 

Books by Indira Gandhi: My Truth

11. “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” -Mother Teresa

Who was Mother Teresa? Mother Teresa, also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, a congregation which pledges to help the “poorest of the poor.” Through her humanitarian efforts, she created homes for the sick, as well as soup kitchens, mobile clinics, family counseling centers, and orphanages, in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. 

Books by Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta, Where There Is Love, There Is God: Her Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others, No Greater Love (among many others)

12.  “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Who was Eleanor Roosevelt? Eleanor Roosevelt is the longest-serving first lady of the United States. She was known for her advocacy for women’s rights and the advancement of women in professional and political positions.

Books by Eleanor Roosevelt: The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt 

13. “I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.” –Oprah Winfrey

Who is Oprah Winfrey? Oprah is one of the most successful talk show hosts, producers, and authors in American history. She’s also been named one of the most (if not the most) influential women in the world on several occasions. 

Books by Oprah Winfrey: What I Know For Sure, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

14. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank

Who was Anne Frank? Anne Frank was (and still is) one of the most widely-known victims of the Holocaust. On her 13th birthday, just before going into hiding from the Nazis, she was given a diary. We know from her journal that her family was given away by an unknown informant after spending 761 days in what she called the Secret Annex. They were arrested on August 4, 1944, and she died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.  

Books by Anne Frank: The Diary of a Anne Frank

15. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” –Coco Chanel

Who was Coco Chanel? Coco Chanel is the nickname for Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, the French fashion designer and businesswoman who founded the Chanel brand. Among many other innovations, Chanel is credited with designing the woman’s suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry, and the now-classic LBD.

Books on Coco Chanel: Mademoiselle Chanel, Chanel: Collections and Creations, The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume (among many others)

16. “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” –Marilyn Monroe

Who was Marilyn Monroe? Marilyn Monroe, whose real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson, is one of the biggest pop culture icons in American history. In addition to her success as a model and singer, she was a top-billed actress with films grossing over $200 million when she died.

Books by Marilyn Monroe: My Story

17. “I’ve always dreamed of growing up to be Amy Poehler.” –Amy Poehler

Who is Amy Poehler? Amy Poehler is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American actress, comedian, writer, director, and producer. She starred on SNL from 2001 until 2008 and then left to play the iconic role of Leslie Knope in Park and Recreation.

Books by Amy Poehler: Yes Please

18. “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances.” –Martha Washington

Who was Martha Washington? In addition to being the first First Lady of the United States, Martha Washington spent roughly half of the Revolutionary War at the front with her husband. She also learned to read and write at an early age, which was very much unlike women in Virginia at the time. 

19. “Destiny is for losers. It’s just a stupid excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen.” –Blair Waldorf

Who is Blair Waldorf? Sadly, Blair Waldorf isn’t a real person. She’s one of the main characters of the TV adaption of Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar. Still, what makes her so iconic is how much she embraces being “Queen B” (and, no, B doesn’t stand for Beyonce). She’s fierce, determined, and unapologetic– and no matter how badly her life is falling apart behind the scenes, she always looks her best. 

Books about Blair Waldorf: Gossip Girl

20. “I was not rescued by a prince. I was the administrator of my own rescue.” –Elizabeth Gilbert

Who is Elizabeth Gilbert? You probably know Elizabeth Gilbert best as the author of the memoir Eat, Pray, Love, which was adapted into a movie starring Julia Roberts. What makes her really inspiring, though, is how candidly she talks about failure. Her message is to always stay true to your passion and continue creating, regardless of the success (and failures) it brings to you. 

Books by Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love, Big Magic

21. “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands– one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” –Audrey Hepburn

Who was Audrey Hepburn? Audrey Hepburn was both a film and fashion icon, EGOT winner, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. She’s known as one of the greatest legends from Classical Hollywood cinema and was the first actress to win an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for the same role. Later in her life, she dedicated much of her time to UNICEF and volunteered in Africa, South America, and Asia. 

Books about Audrey Hepburn: How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life, What Would Audrey Do? Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style (among many others)

22. “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” -Erica Jong

Who is Erica Jong? Erica Jong is an American author and feminist known for her novel Fear of Flying, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. It’s also recognized as figuring prominently in the development of second-wave feminism. 

Books by Erica Jong: Fear of Flying (among many others)

23. “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” –Virginia Woolf

Who was Virginia Woolf? Virginia Woolf is considered to be one of the most innovative and important authors of the 20th century. She’s also a pioneer of stream of consciousness writing. Her works are commonly recognized for inspiring feminism and have been translated into more than 50 languages. 

Books by Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, A Room of One’s Own

24. “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller

Who was Helen Keller? Hellen Keller was an American author and disability rights advocate who was blind and deaf. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen made extraordinary progress with her ability to learn and communicate and eventually published her own memoir The Story of My Life at age 22. She later co-founded the ACLU in 1920. 

Books by Helen Keller: The Story of My Life (among others)

25. “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as if you couldn’t hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time when the tide’ll turn.” –Harriet Beecher Stowe

Who was Harriet Beecher Stowe? Abolitionist author and social activist, Harriet Beecher Stowe popularized the anti-slavery movement with her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It shed light on the evils of slavery and greatly angered the slave-owning South. 

Books by Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin

26. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” –Marie Curie

Who was Marie Curie? Marie Curie was the Polish-French scientist who discovered polonium and radium. Her discoveries earned her the Nobel Prize in both Physics and Chemistry, making her the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. They also changed science, medicine, and our understanding of radioactivity forever. 

Books about Marie Curie: Madame Curie: A Biography, Marie Curie: The Life and Legacy of the Legendary Scientist Who Became the First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize

27. “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” –Sheryl Sandberg

Who is Sheryl Sandberg? Sheryl Sandberg is an American billionaire and the current COO of Meta Platforms. She’s also the first woman elected to serve on Facebook’s board of directors. 

Books by Sheryl Sandberg: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

28. “Nothing will work unless you do.” –Maya Angelou

Who was Maya Angelou? American memoirist Maya Angelou is best known for her prolific writing of poetry, although she was also a scholar, playwright, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. She also added director to her resume in 1998 when she became the first African American woman to direct a major motion picture.

Books by Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Complete Poetry, Letters to My Daughter, And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems (among many others)

29. “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” –Margaret Thatcher

Who was Margaret Thatcher? She was Europe’s first prime minister– and the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. Margaret Thatcher was dubbed the Iron Lady and essentially became the most well-known British political leader since Winston Churchill.

Books by Margaret Thatcher: Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography

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

Who was Amelia Earhart? She was an American aviation pioneer and the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Amelia Earhart was also an author, writing several best-selling books about her flying experience. 

Books about Amelia Earhart: 20 Hrs., 40 Min., The Fun of It, Last Flight

More Inspirational Female Quotes to Enjoy

If you still need more inspirational words of encouragement from successful women, here are a few more posts I think you’ll enjoy–

• 19 Ultra-Inspiring Quotes about Body Image
• Galentine’s Day Letter Board Ideas
• 10 Quotes for Every Girl Boss– My best friend Ashley Brooke rounds up ten more inspirational female quotes, all of which are perfect for celebrating Women’s History Month, in this post! 

 

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Who inspires you to be strong? Did I leave any worthy inspirational female quotes off the list? If I did, let me know in the comments, and I’ll start curating another list of inspirational female quotes.

Anyways, thanks so much for reading, y’all– and happy Women’s History Month!