Quotes on Women Empowerment

Indian Thinkers and Freedom Fighters

1.Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (India’s Constitutional Architect)

“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”​

This fundamental quote encapsulates Ambedkar’s belief that societal advancement cannot be measured without accounting for women’s progress. He viewed women’s empowerment as central to nation-building.

2. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

“Unity is meaningless without the accompaniment of women. Education is fruitless without educated women and agitation is incomplete without the strength of women.”​

Ambedkar recognized that women’s participation is non-negotiable in all aspects of social transformation, from education to activism.

3. Mahatma Gandhi

“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man’s superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage?”​

Gandhi challenged the societal narrative that positioned women as inferior, instead arguing for their moral and ethical superiority.

4. Mahatma Gandhi

“I am uncompromising in the matter of woman’s rights. In my opinion she should labour under no legal disability not suffered by man.”​

This quote reflects Gandhi’s unwavering commitment to absolute equality between men and women under law.

5. Savitribai Phule (Pioneer of Women’s Education in India)

“A woman without education is like a banyan tree without roots or leaves; she cannot provide for her children and stay alive herself.”​

Savitribai Phule emphasized that education is not a luxury but a fundamental necessity for women’s survival and independence.

6. Savitribai Phule

“We shall overcome and success will be ours in the future. The future belongs to us.”​

This empowering declaration reflects her optimistic vision of a future where women would break free from oppression through collective action.

7. Rani Lakshmi Bai (Warrior Queen)

“Main apni jhansi nahi doongi” (I shall not surrender my Jhansi).​

This defiant statement represents the unwavering determination of women to fight for their autonomy and resistance against subjugation.

8. Sarojini Naidu (Nightingale of India)

“A country’s greatness lies in its undying ideals of love and sacrifice that inspire the mothers of the race.”​

Sarojini Naidu elevated the status of motherhood while simultaneously asserting women’s critical role in national progress.

9. Aruna Asaf Ali (Quit India Movement)

“I know where I am going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I am free to be what I want.”​

This powerful assertion embodies the spirit of self-determination and individual agency.

10. Indira Gandhi (First Female Prime Minister of India)

“To be liberated, woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and her personality.”​

Gandhi articulated that women’s liberation is about authentic self-expression rather than competition with men.

International Feminist Icons and Activists

11. Malala Yousafzai (Global Education Advocate)

“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’s quote captures the transformative potential of women’s collective power as a force greater than violence or written word.

12. Malala Yousafzai

“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”​

This statement emphasizes that societal progress is impossible when women are marginalized or restricted.

13. Simone de Beauvoir (French Existentialist Philosopher)

“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”​

This foundational feminist statement challenges biological determinism and highlights how gender is socially constructed rather than innate.

14. Simone de Beauvoir

“When we abolish the slavery of half of humanity, together with the whole system of hypocrisy that it implies, then the ‘division’ of humanity will reveal its genuine significance and the human couple will find its true form.”​

De Beauvoir linked women’s liberation to the liberation of all humanity and the authentic development of human relationships.

15. Susan B. Anthony (American Suffrage Pioneer)

“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”​

Anthony advocated for women’s self-reliance and autonomy as fundamental principles of empowerment.

16. Susan B. Anthony

“There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.”​

This quote emphasizes that political representation is essential for achieving gender equality.

17. Eleanor Roosevelt (Human Rights Champion)

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”​

Roosevelt’s statement empowers women by asserting their agency in defining their self-worth and dignity.

18. Eleanor Roosevelt

“Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water!”​

This metaphorical quote celebrates women’s resilience and capacity to demonstrate strength under adversity.

Contemporary Global Leaders

19. Betty Friedan (Modern Feminist Movement)

“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own. There is no other way.”​

Friedan articulated that women’s self-realization comes through meaningful work and creative contribution to society.

20. Oprah Winfrey (Media and Empowerment Advocate)

“When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.”​

Oprah’s quote connects women’s self-valuation to how society perceives and treats them, emphasizing the importance of self-respect in achieving broader empowerment.

QUOTES AND POEMS

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