Every year, March 8th is celebrated as International Women's Day. But do you know why we have a special day dedicated to honour and celebrating women? It was in the early 20th century when women in many countries started protests and marches in order to demand equality in pay and working conditions. In the year 1908, roughly 15,000 women protested and marched through New York City in the United States of America to demand better pay and working environments, the right to vote, and much more. And so, the following year on February 28th the first-ever National Women's Day was observed in the USA.
Over the years, International Women's Day is being celebrated in many countries the world over. And while it marks celebrating women and womanhood, it also highlights gender inequality and other challenges women face even today. Ultimately, each year International Women's Day is also an annual reminder that the fight for women's rights is an ongoing process. And that, all of us have an important role to play in creating a better and more equitable world for all.
On the occasion of International Women's Day today, here we list down some powerful quotes by famous authors to celebrate this special day. You can share these with your friends and family, and the women in your lives or post them on social media too.
1. “I am Woman, Phenomenally, Phenomenal Woman, that's me.” ― Maya Angelou
2. "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back." - Malala Yousafzai
3. “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” –Michelle Obama
4. "I am the sole author of the dictionary that defines me." - Zadie Smith
5. "You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it." ― Sarah Dessen
6. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." ― George Eliot
7. "In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman." - Margaret Thatcher
8. "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will." ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
9. "You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate." — Elizabeth Gilbert
10. "I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives." ― Jane Austen
11. "I believe great people do things before they are ready." ― Amy Poehler
12. "Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.” ― J.K. Rowling
13. "When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example." ― Roxane Gay
14. "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
15. "We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them. With them it's grand and great." —Lucy Maude Montgomery
16. "There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me." ― Jane Austen
17. "My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for help if you need it." ― Judy Blume
18. "Don't try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition." — Madeleine L'Engel
19. “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.” –W.E.B. Dubois
20. "What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain." ― Maya Angelou
21. “Extremists have shown what frightens them most. A girl with a book.” –Malala Yousafzai.
22. “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” –Mary Shelley
23. “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants rather than to create it herself.” –Anais Nin
24. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
25. “It’s okay if you fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.” –Colette Warden
26. “What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? That since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.” –Rupi Kaur
27. “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.” –Hillary Clinton
28. “A feminist is any woman who tells the truth about her life.” –Virginia Woolf
29. “One is not born a woman, but becomes one.” –Simone de Beauvoir
30. “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand
31. “Each time a woman stands up for herself she stands up for all women.” –Maya Angelou
32. “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” –Melinda Gates
33. “Gender is not an easy conversation to have. It makes people uncomfortable, sometimes even irritable. Both men and women are resistant to talk about gender or are quick to dismiss the problems of gender. Because thinking of changing the status quo is always uncomfortable.” –Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
34. “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.” –Sheryl Sandberg
35. “The test of civilization is its estimate of women.” –George William Curtis
