31 Powerful Quotes From Inspirational Women

Let these inspirational quotes serve as a powerful reminder of your own inner strength and resilience.

SI Staff | Oct 26, 2023

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Throughout history, women have been catalysts for change—inventors, influencers, and relentless drivers of progress. From political pioneers to literary icons, history is a treasure trove of women who defied norms and left an enduring legacy. As we navigate the complexities of modern life, their words resonate, offering not just solace and strength but also a roadmap for embracing our power.

Below, our team has curated a collection of inspirational quotes that transcend time, voiced by formidable women who stood at the forefront of their fields. You might even recognize a few as former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover models. Each quote encapsulates a universal truth and inspiration that reverberates across generations.

These quotes aren't just words; they're a testament to the enduring spirit of women who refused to be confined by societal norms. After all, these women wrote their stories into history, and now, let's use their words to inspire ours.

Martha Stewart

“So the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic.”

Serena Williams

“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up.”

Laurel Thatcher Ulirch

Purple and Green Playful Shapes Skincare Carousel Instagram Post — Pat Greenhouse/Getty Images

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

Marilyn Monroe

“Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes’, we have standards.”

Oprah Winfrey

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

Melinda Gates

“A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.”

Ciara

“If you don't embrace who you are and accept who you are, you won't be able to live a happy life.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“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.”

Maya Angelou

“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.”

Kerry Washington

“I realized that I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of my life.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception.”

Sheryl Sandberg

“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.”

Arianna Huffington

“Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.”

Michelle Obama

“Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.”

Cheryl Strayed

“Fear begets fear. Power begets power. I willed myself to beget power. And it wasn't long before I actually wasn't afraid.”

Elizabeth Gilbert

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”

Malala Yousafzai

“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.”

Glennon Doyle

“Here's my hunch: nobody's secure, and nobody feels like she completely belongs. Those insecurities are just job hazards of being human. But some people dance anyway, and those people have more fun.”

George Eliot

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Nora Ephron

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”

Maya Angelou

“I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Brené Brown

“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.”

Angela Davis

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

Estée Lauder

“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”

Emma Watson

“I found that ultimately if you truly pour your heart into what you believe in—even if it makes you vulnerable—amazing things can and will happen.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Audre Lorde

“The love expressed between women is particular and powerful because we have had to love in order to live; love has been our survival.”

Coco Chanel

“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.”

Sophia Loren

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Ava DuVernay

Ana DuVernay — Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

“Ignore the glass ceiling and do your work. If you’re focusing on the glass ceiling, focusing on what you don’t have, focusing on the limitations, then you will be limited.”

Published Oct 26, 2023

SI STAFF