Enjoy and employ these 20 women’s empowerment quotes as daily positive affirmations, gratitude exercises, and pump-up mantras during Women’s History Month and every day of the year. Like the Girls on the Run afterschool program, these outstanding women have proven that compassion, determination, and understanding the importance of giving back are all vital to becoming our boldest and best selves.
As Women’s History Month 2025 comes to a close, we are maintaining the spirit of the celebration by sharing a collection of inspirational quotes from remarkable women who motivate us all year long. Their powerful words encourage us to keep trying when things feel impossible and to bravely take on challenges with our heads held high. Now and throughout history, their words and actions have sparked change, broken barriers, and influenced generations to dream bigger and redefine the roles of women in society.
While March is a dedicated time to honor their impact, weaving their meaningful messages into our day-to-day is a great habit that can offer peace of mind or a boost when we need it most. There are countless ways to bring this concept to life. Need some ideas? Feature a quote as your phone background or on a sticky note hung on your bathroom mirror; another option could be memorizing your favorite empowerment quote (or portions of it) to say as a positive affirmation or during tough times. No matter how you embrace these quotes, let these women’s voices remind us that courage, resilience, and empathy have limitless potential—because women’s history is being made daily.
“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.”
– Ruth Gordon, American actress, playwright and screenwriter
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”
– Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist and political activist
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
– Jane Goodall, English primatologist and anthropologist
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
– Maya Angelou, American author, poet and civil rights activist
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
– Ida B. Wells, American investigative journalist, sociologist, educator, early leader in the civil rights movement
“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”
– Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian politician, Nobel Peace Prize winner, first female head of state in Africa
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”
– Marie Curie, Polish French physicist and first female Nobel Prize winner
“No matter where you are on your journey, that’s exactly where you need to be. The next road is always ahead.”
– Oprah Winfrey, American author, actress, producer, entrepreneur, and media leader
“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”
– Amelia Earhart, American aviator and advocate for women’s rights and equality
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
– Edith Wharton, American Pulitzer prize-winning writer and designer
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
– Coretta Scott King, American author, activist, and civil rights leader
“I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe.”
– Louise Hay, American author, advocate, founder of Hay House
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”
– Helen Keller, American political activist, author, lecturer, and disability rights advocate
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands—one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”
– Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-born British actress and humanitarian, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher, American writer and artist
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
– Anne Frank, German-born Jewish diarist and author
“Movements are born of critical connections rather than critical mass.”
– Grace Lee Boggs, American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist
“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
– Amanda Gorman, American poet and activist
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it’s right.”
– Rosa Parks, American activist in the civil rights movement
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher, American writer and artist
Are you feeling moved and motivated by these 20 empowerment quotes? Learn more about how to make a difference in your community as a GOTR volunteer!
