There is no doubt that feminism has come a long way. Though the term “feminism” can evoke different reactions from people, there’s no question that it’s helped to bring about important change in society. In honor of International Women’s Day, we’ve compiled a collection of feminist quotes from some of history’s most influential women. From activists to authors to leaders, these women have said it all.
The best feminist quotes
1. I’m such a fan of Lily’s [Tomlin], for so many years. I feel like Lily was the first popular mainstream crossover comedian who also was kind of an overtly feminist comedian. — Tina Fey
2. A feminist is someone who believes in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. — Sheryl Sandberg
3. Feminism is a way of thinking and being, not a way of dressing. You know a feminist by her gaze, not her neckline. — Sophia Amoruso
4. I can be totally feminine and totally feminist. The two are not mutually exclusive. — Patricia V. Davis, The Diva Doctrine: 16 Universal Principles Every Woman Needs to Know
5. Feminists wish women to seem like men. They’re not men. — Vivienne Westwood
6. Politics was my hobby, and I really spent 25 years as a full–time homemaker. I tell the feminists the only person’s permission I had to get was my husband’s. — Phyllis Schlafly
7. …mary, fresh with feminist appropriations, has the potential to undergird women’s reformations. — Sue Monk Kidd
8. I’m a pessimist if I’m not careful, a feminist, a Black, …an oil–and–water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty, and drive. — Octavia Butler
9. Every country that has experimented with women in actual combat has abandoned the idea, and the notion that Israel uses women in combat is a feminist myth. — Phyllis Schlafly
10. My analysis is that the gays are about 5% of the attack on marriage in this country, and the feminists are about 95%. — Phyllis Schlafly
11. Personally I’m not a feminist, as I can’t stand puritans. — Vivienne Westwood
12. The feminist movement taught women to see themselves as victims of an oppressive patriarchy….Self–imposed victimhood is not a recipe for happiness. — Phyllis Schlafly
13. …mary, fresh with feminist appropriations, has the potential to undergird women’s reformations. — Sue Monk Kidd
14. I want to be a freaking feminist and wear a freaking Peter Pan collar. So freaking what? — Zooey Deschanel
15. The feminist movement taught women to see themselves as victims of an oppressive patriarchy….Self–imposed victimhood is not a recipe for happiness. — Phyllis Schlafly
16. I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
17. Yes, I’m a feminist, because I see all women as smart, gifted and tough. — Zaha Hadid
18. I knew I was in love with The Hunger Games when I did not want to get off the treadmill — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
19. When I was a baby feminist, leading feminist thinkers were insisting that if women ran the world, there would be no sadism or war. — Naomi Wolf
20. Hillary Clinton represents staunch feminists, she represents the new era of feminists. — Rush Limbaugh
21. I’m not a misogynist, so you can dispense with that. I think I’ve done wonders for the feminist movement. — Nick Cave
22. Modern–era feminists believe that there is no inherent difference in men and women, that it’s all the way they’re raised. — Rush Limbaugh
23. I’ve never been against women. That anti–feminist rap is bogus. I think men should be nice to women, buy them diamonds. — Sam Kinison
24. I’m such a fan of Lily’s [Tomlin], for so many years. I feel like Lily was the first popular mainstream crossover comedian who also was kind of an overtly feminist comedian. — Tina Fey
25. I guess I am a feminist of sorts. I love women so much, and I celebrate the feminine in me because I appreciate it so much. — Steven Tyler
26. I no longer want to believe these problems are too complex for us to make sense of them. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
27. There was a bad patch in the ’80s and early ’90s when feminist thinking had become sort of a monopoly and had developed a series of litmus tests. — Naomi Wolf
28. We must not allow ourselves to be deflected by the feminists who are anxious to force us to regard the two sexes as completely equal in position and worth. — Sigmund Freud
29. Some experiences are universal. A girl is a girl whether she lives in West Omaha or Sweet Valley. Books are often far more than books. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
30. Love your friends’ kids even if you don’t want or like children. Just do it. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
31. All men are selfish, brutal and inconsiderate––and I wish I could find one. — Shulamith Firestone, The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution
32. ‘we are now dealing with a bizarre new morality where a woman cannot simply say, in one way or another, ”I’m on the pill because I like dick.’ — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
33. Feminists wish women to seem like men. They’re not men. — Vivienne Westwood
34. The only genuine hope of feminist liberation lies wth a vision of social change which challenges class elitism. — bell hooks, Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics
35. I feel like I’m one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women not to be scared of anything. — Miley Cyrus
36. But one of the things that makes me proudest is that rory is a feminist. — Melinda Gates
37. First and foremost feminist movement urged females to no longer see ourselves and our bodies as the property of men. — bell hooks, Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics
38. The line between sacred and secular is man–made. — Sarah Bessey, Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women
39. I’m such a fan of Lily’s [Tomlin], for so many years. I feel like Lily was the first popular mainstream crossover comedian who also was kind of an overtly feminist comedian. — Tina Fey
40. Putting women in military combat is the cutting edge of the feminist goal to force us into an androgynous society. — Phyllis Schlafly
41. On the scale of relevance, public approval or disapproval of a woman’s choices should not merit measure. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
42. There are all the activist groups on every imaginable topic–solidarity groups, environmental and feminist groups–sectors of these movements do very valuable work. — Noam Chomsky
43. You want to be a corporate success; you want to be an entrepreneurial success. That’s the beginnings of the feminist movement which sought to emulate men. — Rush Limbaugh
44. I feel like I’m one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women not to be scared of anything. — Miley Cyrus
45. My Dad has been a feminist, way before I learnt how to spell the word. — Shahla Khan
46. I have always tried to be a woman who protects other women. I have a sister, I have daughters, I have girlfriends, and I was raised by a feminist mother. — Nicole Kidman
47. I no longer want to believe these problems are too complex for us to make sense of them. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
48. Men should stop treating feminists like ladies, and instead treat them like the men they say they want to be. — Phyllis Schlafly
49. A movie about a weak, vulnerable woman can be feminist if it shows a real person that we can empathize with. — Natalie Portman
50. … just one more reminder that the rules are always different for girls, no matter who they are and no matter what they do. — Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
Conclusion
It is clear that the fight for gender equality is not over, and we must all continue to speak out about the importance of feminism. We can use these quotes to help us continue to strive for equality and make sure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity regardless of their gender. Together, we can create a more equitable world.