Empowering Quotes for Women's History Month

Women s Words to Live By

11 empowering quotes from women pioneers

Everett Collection Katharine Hepburn, a Hollywood leading lady for over 60 years, was known for her independent spirit and impassioned personality. In celebration of Women’s History Month, which kicks off March 1, we’re looking at inspirational quotes from 11 of our favorite women in history — women who paved the way for us all. Everyone can learn a thing or two from these pioneers by reflecting on the wise words they’ve shared about everything from love to work — to the mother of all deadly sins. While there are plenty other women to inspire us, the following 11 are a good place to start. 1. “We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers — but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change, you’re the one who has got to change.” —Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) 2. “Let us stop saying ‘white Americans’ and ‘colored Americans.’ Let us try once and for all saying … Americans. on Earth as in Heaven.” —Josephine Baker (1906-1975) 3. “I was just with someone complaining about his mother. He’s 70 and his mother is dead. I sat there thinking, This is unbelievable. He was complaining about things she did to him when he was a kid. There are also a lot of divorced people who, five years later, are still walking around angry when they should be grateful. They love being victims. You get to a certain point in life where if you were younger, you’d say, ‘Think about getting a shrink.’ Then you get older and want to say, ‘Pull up your socks. Get over it.’ ” —Nora Ephron (1941-2012) 4. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity.” —Amelia Earhart (1897-1937, when she disappeared) 5. “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically. … No, the only tired I was was tired of giving in.” — (1913-2005) 6. “, hoping to transform it into a door.” —Coco Chanel (1883-1971) 7. “You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” —Marie Curie (1867-1934) 8. “; it’s the mother of all the deadly sins.” —Edith Wharton (1862-1937) 9. “There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don’t need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain.” —Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) 10. “If nobody can learn from the past, then there’s no point in raking it up.” —Billie Holiday (1915-1959) 11. “Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper. Everything can have drama if it’s done right. Even a pancake.” —Julia Child (1912-2004)

Also of Interest

Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.