Image: Christophe Archambault / AFP
Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.
—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Nigerian writer
Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light.
—Frida Kahlo
Mexican painter
Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.
—Shirley Chisholm
American politician
A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex but neither should she adjust to prejudice and discrimination.
—Betty Friedan
American activist
Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.
—Marie Curie
Polish-French chemist and physicist
In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.
—Coco Chanel
French fashion designer
I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.
—Estée Lauder
American businesswoman
I have learnt over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
Rosa Parks
American civil rights activist
Normal is not something to aspire for, it’s something to get away from.
—Jodie Foster
American actor
A good compromise is one where everybody makes a contribution.
—Angela Merkel
German politician
There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.
—Indira Gandhi
Former prime minister
No one changes the world who isn’t obsessed.
—Billie Jean King
American tennis player
(This story appears in the 03 December, 2021 issue
of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
