I am a big time internet surfer and I end up voraciously reading articles on women and by women. Also, my Pinterest feeds are full of quotes and words by many strong women. There are some women - authors, actors, celebrities - whose words really inspire me. I would list down 10 such women, feminists in their own rights, whose words inspire me:
1. Emma Watson
She is the quintessential Hermione Granger, as much in real life as in the reel life. She does not dumb herself to gain acceptability. She speaks up about self-confidence as well as body shaming; and about gender equality as well as environment sustainability. She is every bit worthy of being a UN Ambassador and is quite an inspiration for young girls as well as boys.
2. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is a legend. Her words are truly inspirational. She talks about fighting your demons and rising from the ashes. She tells you how to put setbacks and failures behind you and rise to success. And what is truly beautiful is that although she talks about her battles as a black woman, her words aren’t specific to any race, any gender or any age.
3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I haven’t read any of the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but I have listened to one of her TEDx Talks. She is amazing in explaining why our culture needs to be upgraded for women to be treated equal to men. She talks with her experience as a woman in an African country ridden with crimes and sexual violence against women. But her words truly transcend all demographics.
4. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is personification of what a woman can achieve despite all odds. Her life is a true inspiration for every woman fighting in the male domain to make a place for herself. She talks about taking life’s challenges head-on and she talks about wage equality for equal work. She is your go-to person when you need a solid dose of motivation.
5. Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is one of the women whose words I had come across even before I even started to consciously think about and read about women’s issues. She is a proud feminist who talks about gender equality as well as racism. Although it is now often discussed at many forums, but she was one of the first I came across who stressed more about teaching our sons to respect women and not just teaching our daughters to consider themselves equal to boys.
6. J.K. Rowling
She is the creator of Hermione Granger, which qualifies her big time as a feminist. She tells girls to focus on being smart and educated rather than pretty and petite. She gave us many pearls of wisdom inside the Harry Potter books and she continues to shower her gems even after that. And on a side note, she knows how to take down trolls like a boss.
7. Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama is one of the finest First Ladies the US has ever had. She personifies grace and dignity. But that is not all. She encourages young girls to dream and aspire higher. She tells them to focus on building themselves through education. She tells them to have ambition and move on to achieve their dreams with confidence. Her words are great advice for young girls across the world.
8. Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg does not always talk about the empowerment of women in the remote areas. She talks about how women can empower themselves in the competitive corporate world and why it’s time corporates start recognizing them at par with the men. Apparently, she also practices what she preaches in her own company, Facebook Inc.
9. Kalki Koechlin
Kalki Koechlin is one current day Indian actress who is openly and brashly feminist and she doesn’t mince words when talking about the subject. Right from appearing in videos like “It’s your fault” and “The printing machine” (in which she recited a self-composed poem), she has boldly spoken about crime against women. She even spoke about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child and encouraged other women to come out in the open and discuss what they have faced.
10. Twinkle Khanna
Be it menstruation or the fasting on Karva Chauth, Mrs. Funnybones aka Twinkle Khanna has a funny satirical take on everything to do with women. Having emerged as one of the most followed feminist on the social media, she even turned a best-selling author when she published all her blogposts in a book. And yes, just like J.K. Rowling, she knows how to shut down her trolls.
Pics sources: Pinterest
