Gender-based citation disparities exist. Women are less cited and quoted than men. If you follow my Twitter account (@DanayiM) every Monday I post motivational quotes by women.

Today I curated some powerful and beautiful quotes to inspire and empower – by women for everyone.

  • “A lot of us bring up our little boys as princes and our little girls as Cinderella’s who must wait on the princes. Then we realise something is wrong ,they should be equal.” – Nkosazana Dlamin-Zuma
  • “Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” – Sadie Delany
  • ·    “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
  • “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” – Lucille Ball

  • “It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference.” – Wangari Maathai
  • “Lots of women are shy and hesitant to promote their own projects and worry that it’s braggy. So I’m here to say that I love hearing about women doing awesome things that they really care about. I want to support and back cool projects. So you are not being braggy, you are doing people a favor by letting them know what awesome things you’ve done! Don’t be shy about sharing your projects!” – Amy Wibowo
  • “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
  • “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” – Audre Lorde
  • “Trust in yourself, believe that your voice matters, and know that your words are good enough.” – Amber Gordon
  • “Let’s be very clear: Strong men – men who are truly role models – don’t need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful. People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” – Michelle Obama

  • “Drama is very important in life: You have to come on with a bang. You never want to go out with a whimper.” – Julia Child
  • “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne
  • ·      “The seeds of success in every nation on Earth are best planted in women and children.” – Joyce Banda
  • “There is no recipe, there is no one way to do things — there is only your way. And if you can recognize that in yourself and accept and appreciate that in others, you can make magic.” – Ara Katz
  • “Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.” – Jodie Foster
  • “I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” – Arianna Huffington
  • ”I believe that when you find problems you should also find solutions.”-Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
  • “Everyone shines, given the right lighting.” – Susan Cain
  • “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
  • “You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” – Tina Fey