You know what’s awesome? When women help women. And that’s exactly what our favorite confidence quotes for women do. Read on.
We all do better when we learn from each other.
And these confidence quotes for women help us do precisely that.
From the mouths of writers, philanthropists, performers, advocates, and activists, these words help inspire us to open the page to our next chapters.
And here’s why they’re so necessary.
In this article: 📝
- The gender confidence gap
- Self-confidence quotes for women
- What is an inspiring quote for confidence?
- What is a strong woman quote?
The gender confidence gap
Yep, if you were wondering, it’s real.
A recent study showed that female workers are far less inclined to sell themselves, their skills, and their experience.
And while that doesn’t explain away the differences in opportunity between genders, it does give us insight into how to begin improving the situation.
In 2021, the largest global study to understand, measure, and increase women’s confidence was conducted.
Apart from uncovering something that may be pretty intuitive—that women’s confidence is generally on the low end—they discovered something else: confidence is not something you can grow on your own.
You need to do it in community, with other people.
We need to receive from, give to, and grow with one another.
That’s why we must cultivate support systems.
(Psst. Peanut can help with that.)
There’s no way we can do this alone.
Self-confidence quotes for women can provide a spark of inspiration to help build community and make the world a better place for women.
Self-confidence quotes for women
First, a quick note: We love these incredible words, but we know they might not be enough if you’re feeling really low.
If you are feeling anxious or depressed, know that help is available.
Whether that means talking to a counselor, doctor, friend, or family member, know that you don’t have to do this alone.
Head here for resources from the National Institute of Mental Health.
So with all that in mind, let’s dive in. Read on for our favorite self-confidence quotes for women.
What is an inspiring quote for confidence?
- “If you can dance and be free and be embarrassed, you can rule the world.” — Amy Poehler
- “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.” — Ava DuVernay
- “I am experienced enough to do this. I am knowledgeable enough to do this. I am prepared enough to do this. I am mature enough to do this. I am brave enough to do this.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- “Own yourself, woman.” — Toni Morrison, Beloved
- “The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence.” — Beyoncé Knowles
- “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King
- “Females are the most beautiful, gorgeous creatures in the whole world. And I think that we are gorgeous no matter what size we are.” — Alicia Keys
- “Once I learned to like me more than others did, then I didn’t have to worry about being the funniest or the most popular or the prettiest. I was the best me and I only ever tried to be that.” — Issa Rae
- “You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.’” — Erin McKean
- “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” — Judy Garland
- “Learn to embrace your own unique beauty, celebrate your unique gifts with confidence. Your imperfections are actually a gift.” — Kerry Washington
- “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron
- “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” — Angela Davis
- “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” — Carol Burnett
- “You make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it. You draw your own box.” — Megan Markle
- “You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” — Oprah Winfrey
- “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” — Ella Fitzgerald
- “I tell myself, ‘You’ve been through so much, you’ve endured so much, time will allow me to heal, and soon this will be just another memory that made me the strong woman, athlete, and mother I am today.’” — Serena Williams
- “How wild it was, to let it be.” — Cheryl Strayed
- “Don’t be afraid. Because you’re going to be afraid. But remember when you become afraid, just don’t be afraid.” — Joan Jett
- “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot
- “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
- “Don’t let anyone speak for you, and don’t rely on others to fight for you.” — Michelle Obama
- “You had the power all along my dear.” — Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- “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.” — Kavita Ramdas
What is a strong woman quote?
These quotes come from some of our mightiest heroes:
- “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.” — Malala Yousafzai
- “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” — Audre Lorde
- “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” — Audrey Hepburn
- “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- “Women that believe in each other can survive anything. Women who believe in each other create armies that will win kingdoms and wars.” — Nikita Gill
- “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” — Melinda Gates
- “Some women get erased a little at a time, some all at once. Some reappear. Every woman who appears wrestles with the forces that would have her disappear. She struggles with the forces that would tell her story for her, or write her out of the story, the genealogy, the rights of man, the rule of law. The ability to tell your own story, in words or images, is already a victory, already a revolt.” — Rebecca Solnit
- “I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.”
— Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman
- “There will be people who say to you, ‘You are out of your lane.’ They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don’t you let that burden you.” — Vice President Kamala Harris
- “The beauty of being a feminist is that you get to be whatever you want. And that’s the point.” — Shonda Rhimes
- “Women are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until they are in hot water.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “You’re not too fat. You’re not too loud. You’re not too smart. You’re not unladylike. There is nothing wrong with you.” — Jessica Valenti
- “The woman who doesn’t require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.” — Mohadesa Najumi
- “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” — Coco Chanel
- “Women are the real architects of society.” — Cher
- “The one person who will never leave us, whom we will never lose, is ourself. Learning to love our female selves is where our search for love must begin.” — bell hooks
- “Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes,’ we have standards.” — Marilyn Monroe
- “Don’t think about making women fit the world — think about making the world fit women.” — Gloria Steinem
- “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” — Dolly Parton
- “Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men’s chivalry to give them justice.” — Helen Keller
- “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.” — Nancy Pelosi
- “We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves.” — Shirley Chisholm
- “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” — Stephanie Bennett-Henry
- “I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, white. I will have my serpent’s tongue—my woman’s voice, my sexual voice, my poet’s voice. I will overcome the tradition of silence.” — Gloria E. Anzaldúa
- “A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” — Marge Piercy
And if you’re looking for some more words of inspiration, here are some avenues to explore:
100+ Unconditional Mother-Daughter Love Quotes
40 Delightful Daughter’s Day Quotes
50 Affirmations for Moms
50 Inspiring Quotes for International Women’s Day
48 Memorable Quotes About Daughters
20 Happy Daughter’s Day Wishes and Quotes
71 Strong Single Mom Quotes to Son & Daughter
34 Quotes to Empower Women
Our 40 Favorite Inspirational Motherhood Quotes
50 Customizable Goals in Life for Women
So let’s raise our voices, our hands, and our children in a way that feels aligned with our desires and strengths.
We’ve got this!