You found our list of inspiring powerful women empowerment quotes for work.
Women empowerment quotes are words of encouragement and inspiration about female potential. Examples include “I am very resourceful, as any woman would be,” and “I want little girls to believe that they can be CEOs.” The purpose of these sayings is to inspire gender equality in the workplace and the wider world.
These phrases are a subset of motivational quotes and are similar to International Women’s Day quotes and diversity & inclusion quotes.
This list includes:
- short women empowerment quotes
- quotes about women supporting women
- women empowerment quotes from books
- quotes about men’s role in women’s empowerment
- gender equality quotes
- quotes about women believing in themselves
- quotes about women and education
- strong business woman quotes
Here we go!
Short women empowerment quotes
- “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” – Dolly Parton, musician and philanthropist
- “I want little girls to believe that they can be CEOs.” – Payal Kadakia, CEO and co-founder of Classpass
- “I am very resourceful, as any woman would be.” – Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space
- “One of the things my parents taught me, and I’ll always be grateful for the gift, is to not ever let anybody else define me.” – Wilma Mankiller, first woman elected as the principal chief of the Cherokee nation
- “Women don’t realize how powerful they are.” – Judith Light, actress
- “I am my own woman.” – Evita Peron, Former First Lady of Argentina
- “In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell.” – Luvvie Ajayi, author
Quotes about women supporting women
- “I can promise you that women working together – linked, informed and educated – can bring peace and prosperity to this forsaken planet.” – Isabel Allende, Chilean and American writer
- “Behind every great woman… is another great woman.” – Kate Hodges, actress
- “I’m going to encourage any type of woman. You don’t have to be a woman like me for me to encourage and support you and tell you, ‘Yes, b—h, keep on going.” – Cardi B, musician
- “The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first.” – Iyanla Vanzant, inspirational speaker
- “Women are incredible in groups together. Terrifying. Men have nothing on them.” – Michael Hutchence, musician
- “The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” – Adrienne Rich, poet
- “Women like myself, CEOs, can pave the way for more women to get to the top.” Andrea Jung, CEO of Grameen America
Women empowerment quotes from books
- “For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.” – Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland
- “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness
- “Never say no when you really want to say yes.” – Jenny Han, Always and Forever, Lara Jean
- “Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint.” – Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
- “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” – Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
- ”I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance.” – bell hooks, “Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism”
- “You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect. You should expect it.” – Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon
- “I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists
- “Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.” – Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
Quotes about men’s role in women’s empowerment
- “Women are always saying, ‘We can do anything that men can do.’ But men should be saying, ‘We can do anything that women can do.'” – Gloria Steinem, author & activist
- “When women are empowered, they immeasurably improve the lives of everyone around them—their families, their communities, and their countries. This is not just about women; we men need to recognize the part we play too. Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve.” – Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
- “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, it leads to a better society.” – John Legend, musician
- “I’m not ashamed to dress “like a woman” because I don’t think it’s shameful to be a woman.” – Iggy Pop, musician
- “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.” – B. R. Ambedkar, Former Minister of Law and Justice of India
- “All women’s issues are to some degree men’s issues and all men’s issues are to some degree women’s issues because when either sex wins unilaterally both sexes lose.” Warren Farrell, American political scientist & author
Gender equality quotes
- “Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility.” – Ban Ki-moon, South Korean politician and diplomat and 8th Secretary General of the United nations
- “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.” – Plato, Ancient Greek philosopher
- “We want a world where boys can feel, girls can lead, and the rest of us can not only exist but thrive.” – Alok Vaid Menon, author and activist
- “Gender equality is a human fight, not a female fight.” – Frieda Pinto, Indian actress
- “There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. As well speak of a female liver.” – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Women and Economics
- “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” – Mary Shelley, author
- “Whether women are better than men I cannot say – but I can say they are certainly no worse.” – Golda Meir, Former Prime Minister of Israel
Quotes about women believing in themselves
- “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.” – Mary McLeod Bethune, American educator, civil rights activist, and all around cool lady
- “It’s never too late to get back on your feet though we won’t live forever, make sure you accomplish what you were put here for” – Abigail Adams, the second first lady of the United States of American
- “I’m learning that ‘No’ is a complete sentence. And I am reminding myself that this isn’t a competition. It’s me following the trajectory of the life I was meant to lead.”–Amanda Gorman, American poet and activist
- “I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be the inferior sex.” – Katharine Hepburn, actress
- “There is no list of rules. There is one rule. The rule is: there are no rules. Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.” – Shonda Rhimes, American television producer, screenwriter, and author
- “Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.” – Amelia Earhart, aviator
- “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.” – Anais Nin, writer
- “We’re getting ready to take over the world. My group of girlfriends – we’re renegades.” Lisa Bonet, actress
- “There’s no prerequisites to worthiness. You’re born worthy, and I think that’s a message a lot of women need to hear.” – Viola Davis, actress
Quotes about women and education
- “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.” – Emma Watson, actress and activist
- “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.” – Malala Yousafzai, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
- “We educate women because it is smart. We educate women because it changes the world.” – Drew Fuast, American historian and first female president of Harvard University
- “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” – Brigham Young, religious leader
- “There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free and educated woman”-Angelina Jolie, actress and activist
- “When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.” – Michelle Obama, former first lady of the US
- “Girls’ education is the single best investment that any society can make.” – Carol Bellamy, Former New York State senator
Strong business woman quotes
- “Without a team, we’re all nobody.” – Pat McGrath, make-up Artist and mogul
- “Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.” – Robert Frost, poet
- “Maybe it just boils down to: I’m a woman who’s really into her career, so I’m obsessed with the craft of my work. … There’s a romance in that for me.” – Mitski, Japanese-American singer songwriter
- “As entrepreneurs, we must continue to ask ourselves ‘What’s next?’ It takes humility to realize that we don’t know everything, not to rest on our laurels and know that we must keep learning and observing.” – Cher Wang, Taiwanese entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder and chairperson of HTC Corporation and VIA Technologies
- “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton, musician & philanthropist
- “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the US
- “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey, media mogul
- “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, writer
- “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in our absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg,COO of Facebook
Final Thoughts
Women’s empowerment quotes represent a diverse group of women who have all achieved success on their own terms. Whether setting intentions for a project or the day these phrases will have a big impact. You can use these sayings to place you and your team on the path to success, celebrate wins, and build strong teams.
Next, check out virtual Women’s Day ideas and Women’s History Month ideas.
Grace He