25 Independent Women Quotes to Inspire and Empower

When we’re feeling down and out, turning to the words of incredible women can be a source of inspiration. Taking a look at independent women quotes can help you get through a difficult time, whether that be in your career or personal life.

Here are some powerful thoughts from inspirational women to read when you’re feeling lost.

Strong Confident Woman Quotes

When we’re going through a tough time, it can be inspirational to turn to the words of strong women that have come before us. Here are some great quotes from women we can look to as a source of strength.

  1. “One of the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.” ― Oprah Winfrey
  2. “Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it.” ― Sonia Sotomayor
  3. “To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” ― Hillary Clinton
  4. “My mother would look at me and she’d say, ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.” ― Kamala Harris
  5. “I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” ― Madonna
Independent Women Quotes

Boss Women Quotes

Many an inspirational quote comes from a boss woman. Here are some that we love!

  1. “There was a time when men thought it was sexy to have a housewife waiting for him to come home from work in her slippers, but in modern society, I think an independent woman is even more sexy.” ― Kat Graham
  2. “I wanted to be an independent woman, a woman who could pay for her bills, a woman who could run her own life – and I became that woman.” ― Diane von Furstenberg
  3. “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” ― Margaret Thatcher
  4. “Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  5. “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
  6. “You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.'” ― Erin McKean
Independent Women Quotes

Classy Independent Quotes

Not all independent women quotes have to be brash and bold. Some can be calm, subtle, and strong. Here are some examples from classy, strong women.

  1. “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” ― Helen Keller
  2. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” ― Madeleine Albright
  3. “Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” ― G.D. Anderson
  4. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
  5. “I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.” ― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
  6. “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.” ― Coco Chanel
  7. “A well-read woman is a dangerous creature.” ― Lisa Kleypas, A Wallflower Christmas
Independent Women Quotes

Strength Quotes

Strong women sometimes have the best quotes. Here are some quotes to carry with you on the search to find yourself.

  1. “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” ― Melinda Gates
  2. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
  3. “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” ― Rihanna
  4. “Better to be strong than pretty and useless.” ― Lilith Saintcrow, Strange Angels
  5. “After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” ― Ann Richards
  6. “Justice is about making sure that being polite is not the same thing as being quiet. In fact, oftentimes, the most righteous thing you can do is shake the table.” ― Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
  7. “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
Independent Women Quotes

Independent Woman: A Woman Who Stands Up for Herself

There’s a difference between being independent and alone. An independent woman stands up for herself, but that doesn’t mean she has to stand on her own. A strong and independent woman will run her own life, but she stands alongside other women to support them as well.

Are there other independent women quotes that you love? Let us know in the comments!

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Author, Artist, Photographer.

Sarah Margaret is an artist who expresses her love for feminism, equality, and justice through a variety of mediums: photography, filmmaking, poetry, illustration, song, acting, and of course, writing.

She owns Still Poetry Photography, a company that showcases her passion for capturing poetic moments in time. Instead of poetry in motion, she captures visual poetry in fractions of a second, making cherished keepsakes of unforgettable moments.

She is the artist behind the Still Poetry Etsy shop, which houses her illustrations and bespoke, handmade items. She is the author of intricacies are just cracks in the wall, a narrative poetry anthology that follows a young woman discovering herself as she emerges from an abusive relationship.