March 8 is International Women’s Day, but it isn’t the only day we should be celebrating the ladies. Every day is a celebration of women’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements. Every day is a celebration of women’s strength and perseverance.
There are still many issues to fight for: gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women, to name a few. We can’t solve them in a snap. But we can challenge gender norms, break stereotypes, embrace diversity, empower each other, and take action every day until we succeed.
So let’s dream with ambition and trust in our strength, knowing that we’ve got sisters rooting for us from all around the world. Let these women empowerment quotes serve as mantras to guide and inspire us in everything we do.
On Life
To every woman who
?breaks barriers
?smashes stereotypes
?disrupts the system
?speaks up for equality
?demands justice
?fights for human rights,You inspire us every day.
This day is for you.#InternationalWomensDay#GenerationEquality #IWD2021pic.twitter.com/w3DH7SPtMw— UN Women (@UN_Women) March 8, 2021
We’ve all encountered people who make careless statements like, “Watch what you say; know your place.” But as disheartening as it sounds, remind yourself that a woman’s place is anywhere she plans to be. Keep your head up. Don’t let anybody stop you from living the way you want to.
From maintaining composure to dressing well to speaking one’s truth, here are some of the most powerful statements to help strong women catch any curveball that life throws at us.
- “When in doubt, stand still.” – Julie Andrews
- “I am fighting for the right to be myself.” – Remedios Gomez-Paraiso (Kumander Liwayway)
- “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” – Coco Chanel
- “Failure isn’t an option. I’ve erased the word fear from my vocabulary. And I think when you erase fear, you can’t fail.” – Alicia Keys
- “I’ve reached a point in life where it’s no longer necessary to try to impress. If they like me the way I am, that’s good. If they don’t, that’s too bad.” – President Cory Aquino
On Love
Happy #InternationalWomensDay!
Today we celebrate women & girls around the world who are leading the way towards a better, more sustainable & equal future. pic.twitter.com/MZTkmpq7QB
— UNOPS (@UNOPS) March 8, 2021
What is life without love? And I’m not just referring to romantic love — life is bleak if we don’t nurture all personal relationships that matter. More importantly, we have to learn to love ourselves. We should start being kinder to ourselves if we want to make the world a better place to live in.
On the days when we can’t seem to find reasons to look after ourselves, or when we feel emotionally numb, these ladies are here to share valuable lessons about self-love.
- “The minute you learn to love yourself, you won’t want to be anyone else.” – Rihanna
- “If you want to try to improve things that you don’t like about yourself, then do it after you appreciate yourself.” – Adele
- “It’s the fire in my eyes, and the flash of my teeth, the swing in my waist, and the joy in my feet. I’m a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman. That’s me.” – Maya Angelou
- “When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you stop caring about what people who don’t know you think.” – Beyoncé
- “Women are inherently strong and resilient. But when women help other women, they become unbreakable. […] We are our sisters’ keepers. We are always stronger together.” – Vice President Leni Robredo
On Leadership
“Think we’re followers? Watch us lead.”
In honour of #InternationalWomensDay, here’s how women working in @UN missions are busting the stereotypes. #IWD2021 #womeninpeacekeeping pic.twitter.com/aCJioiV1t8
— UN Peacekeeping (@UNPeacekeeping) March 5, 2021
There’s more to leadership than being the boss in your organization. It’s about defining personal goals, claiming your space, and leading with compassion. As women, we have to take ownership of our actions and be the leader of our own lives. Nobody should dictate our thoughts and actions.
Fair and dignified leadership runs in our blood, ladies. And if we ever find ourselves questioning our abilities, these inspiring women have just the right words to remind us of our power.
- “When they go low, we go high.” – Former First Lady Michelle Obama
- “I eat death threats for breakfast.” – Former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago
- “You do not lose sight of what you believe in, you do not lose sight of the goal. You drown out the voices, because there are bigger battles to fight.”- Vice President Leni Robredo
- “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat. Instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” – Queen Elizabeth II
- “We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice. And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it.” – Amanda Gorman
The future is brighter with women at the table. Claim your seat today.