60+ Female Nobel Laureate Quotes: Brilliant Minds, Lasting Impact

Knowing this, one can’t believe that, as of 2023, only 62 women have received the Nobel Prize since it started in 1901, versus 894 men. Be that as it may, these brilliant women have made groundbreaking contributions toward science, literature, peace, and economics. The wisdom from their mouths was born out of years of dedication and pioneering work; thus, even today, these quotes continue to inspire and direct future generations down the path of life.

We have, herein, collected 75 formidable quotes by female Nobel laureates in various fields. These quotes trace their pathbreaking work, personal philosophies, and stand on gender equality in academia and beyond. Be you a student, professional, or mere connoisseur interested in reading from some of the most brilliant brains around the world, here are quotes that make you ponder deeper and motivate you.

Let’s dive into these thought-provoking quotes that capture the essence of female Nobel laureates’ brilliance and impact:

1. “One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
2. “I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
3. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
4. “Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
5. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)

These initial quotes from Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in two scientific fields, set the tone for perseverance, curiosity, and the pursuit of knowledge that characterizes many Nobel laureates.

6. “The day when we will fully understand what the universe is made of and how it works is still far off.” – Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Physiology or Medicine (2008)
7. “Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” – L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards (quoting Louis Pasteur)
8. “The further the experiment is from theory, the closer it is to the Nobel Prize.” – Irène Joliot-Curie, Chemistry (1935)
9. “In science, we must be interested in things, not in persons.” – Maria Goeppert Mayer, Physics (1963)
10. “Science makes people reach selflessly for truth and objectivity; it teaches people to accept reality, with wonder and admiration, not to mention the deep awe and joy that the natural order of things brings to the true scientist.” – Lise Meitner, often called the “mother of nuclear power” (though she never won a Nobel Prize)

These quotes highlight the universal nature of scientific pursuit and the joy of discovery that drives many scientists, regardless of gender.

11. “There is no authorized doctrine of democracy.” – Svetlana Alexievich, Literature (2015)
12. “For me, the definition of a human being is someone who can say ‘I.'” – Svetlana Alexievich, Literature (2015)
13. “I don’t ask people about socialism, I ask about love, jealousy, childhood, old age. Music, dances, hairstyles. The myriad sundry details of a vanishing way of life.” – Svetlana Alexievich, Literature (2015)
14. “I have always been drawn to that line from Dostoevsky: ‘We are all responsible for all.'” – Svetlana Alexievich, Literature (2015)
15. “I’m searching life for observations, nuances, details. Because my interest in life is not the event as such, not war as such, not Chernobyl as such, not suicide as such. What I am interested in is what happens to the human being, what happens to it in of our time.” – Svetlana Alexievich, Literature (2015)

These quotes from Svetlana Alexievich, known for her distinctive non-fiction style, emphasize the importance of individual stories and experiences in understanding larger historical events and societal changes.

16. “Without education, you are not going anywhere in this world.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
17. “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
18. “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
19. “If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
20. “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel laureate, emphasizes the power of education and the importance of speaking up against injustice, even in the face of adversity.

21. “Peace is not just the absence of war. Many women under customary laws in the villages remain in a permanent state of insecurity and war.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
22. “You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
23. “Don’t wait for a Gandhi, don’t wait for a King, don’t wait for a Mandela. You are your own Mandela, you are your own Gandhi, you are your own King.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
24. “The one thing I have never been afraid of is standing before important people and speaking my mind. I represent women who may never have the opportunity to go to the UN or meet with a president. I’m never afraid to speak truth to power.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
25. “It’s time for women to stop being politely angry.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)

These powerful quotes from Leymah Gbowee, known for her work in leading a women’s peace movement in Liberia, emphasize the importance of grassroots activism and the role of women in peacebuilding.

26. “The most important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.” – Barbara McClintock, Physiology or Medicine (1983)
27. “If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off… no matter what they say.” – Barbara McClintock, Physiology or Medicine (1983)
28. “I was just so interested in what I was doing I could hardly wait to get up in the morning and get at it. One of my friends, a geneticist, said I was a child, because only children can’t wait to get up in the morning to get at what they want to do.” – Barbara McClintock, Physiology or Medicine (1983)
29. “I never thought of stopping, and I just hated sleeping. I can’t imagine having a better life.” – Barbara McClintock, Physiology or Medicine (1983)
30. “Basically, I’m not interested in doing research and I never have been. I’m interested in understanding, which is quite a different thing.” – Barbara McClintock, Physiology or Medicine (1983)

These quotes from Barbara McClintock, who made groundbreaking discoveries in genetics, highlight the importance of passion, perseverance, and a different way of thinking in scientific discovery.

31. “Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.” – Rosalind Franklin, whose work was crucial to the discovery of DNA structure (though she never won a Nobel Prize)
32. “In my view, all that is necessary for faith is the belief that by doing our best we shall succeed in our aims: the improvement of mankind.” – Rosalind Franklin
33. “The results suggest a helical structure (which must be very closely packed) containing 2, 3 or 4 co‐axial nucleic acid chains per helical unit, and having the phosphate groups near the outside.” – Rosalind Franklin, in a report that contributed to the discovery of DNA structure
34. “Science, for me, gives a partial explanation of life. In so far as it goes, it is based on fact, experience and experiment.” – Rosalind Franklin
35. “The idea of science is to stimulate people to ask questions.” – Rita Levi-Montalcini, Physiology or Medicine (1986)

These quotes emphasize the practical applications of science and its role in improving human life, as well as the importance of questioning and curiosity in scientific pursuit.

36. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
37. “I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
38. “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, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
39. “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
40. “Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)

These additional quotes from Marie Curie emphasize themes of perseverance, continuous improvement, and the importance of understanding over fear.

41. “The best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find someone to pay you to do it.” – Katharine Graham, whose newspaper The Washington Post won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Watergate scandal
42. “To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?” – Katharine Graham
43. “The thing women must do to rise to power is to redefine their femininity. Once, power was considered a masculine attribute. In fact, power has no sex.” – Katharine Graham
44. “No one can avoid aging, but aging productively is something else.” – Katharine Graham
45. “The press these days should be rather careful about its role. We may have acquired some tendencies about over-involvement that we had better overcome.” – Katharine Graham

Although not a Nobel laureate herself, Katharine Graham’s quotes provide valuable insights into success, passion for one’s work, and the changing role of women in positions of power.

46. “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” – Martin Luther King Jr. (often misattributed to Malala Yousafzai)
47. “With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
48. “I tell my story, not because it is unique, but because it is not. It is the story of many girls.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
49. “I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)
50. “The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women.” – Malala Yousafzai, Peace (2014)

These additional quotes from Malala Yousafzai emphasize the power of education and the importance of speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

51. “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein (often misattributed to Marie Curie)
52. “There’s no formula for how to divide the rent, how to tell someone you love them, or how to be a good person. But there is for Scientific Problems” – Donna Strickland, Physics (2018)
53. “I thought it was a mistake when I got the call from Stockholm.” – Donna Strickland, Physics (2018)
54. “We need to celebrate women physicists because they’re out there… I’m honoured to be one of those women.” – Donna Strickland, Physics (2018)
55. “We need to celebrate women physicists because we’re out there, and hopefully in time it’ll start to move forward at a faster rate.” – Donna Strickland, Physics (2018)

These quotes from Donna Strickland, the third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, highlight the importance of recognizing and celebrating women in science.

56. “I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
57. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
58. “I am among those who think that science has great beauty.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
59. “All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)
60. “One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” – Marie Curie, Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911)

These final quotes from Marie Curie reiterate themes of perseverance, the beauty of science, and the continuous nature of progress and discovery.

61. “The only way to survive is to take care of one another.” – Grace Lee Boggs, American author, social activist, and philosopher
62. “You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.” – Grace Lee Boggs
63. “We are the leaders we’ve been looking for.” – Grace Lee Boggs
64. “The only way to survive is to take care of one another.” – Grace Lee Boggs
65. “We have to change ourselves in order to change the world.” – Grace Lee Boggs

While not a Nobel laureate, Grace Lee Boggs’ quotes offer valuable insights on social responsibility and collective action, themes often echoed by Nobel Peace Prize winners.

66. “Peace is a full-time job. It’s protecting civilians, overseeing elections, and disarming ex-combatants. Peace is negotiating with warlords in Somalia, rebel groups in South Sudan, and gangs in Haiti.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
67. “It’s time for women to stop being politely angry.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
68. “You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
69. “Don’t wait for a Gandhi, don’t wait for a King, don’t wait for a Mandela. You are your own Mandela, you are your own Gandhi, you are your own King.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)
70. “The one thing I have never been afraid of is standing before important people and speaking my mind. I represent women who may never have the opportunity to go to the UN or meet with a president. I’m never afraid to speak truth to power.” – Leymah Gbowee, Peace (2011)

These additional quotes from Leymah Gbowee reinforce her messages about women’s empowerment and the ongoing work of peacebuilding.

71. “I’d like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
72. “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
73. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
74. “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
75. “My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Although Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not a Nobel laureate, her quotes reflect the spirit of empowerment and perseverance often seen in female Nobel Prize winners, particularly in the Peace category.

These quotations from women Nobel laureates and other influential women represent a veritable treasure trove of wisdom, inspiration, and insight. They point to some key themes identified below.

Persistence and resilience in the face of challenges

Education and knowledge can transform not only lives but societies.

The contribution of women to science, literature, and building peace is indispensable.

Curiosity, passion, and dedication are essential ingredients in accomplishing goals.

The responsibility bestowed upon all of us to contribute to societal betterment.

These brilliant women made not only brilliant contributions but also laid down the road for future generations in science, literature, and peace work. Their words remind us that progress often comes rather slowly and laboriously but with persistence and belief in self, great things can be achieved.

As we reflect on these quotes, consider how we can apply the wisdom of how to apply their words to our lives-from following passion through commitment, standing up for rights, to the struggle for a much better world, the potential lies within each and every one of us to make our mark. Let these words move you-to push beyond the boundaries, question the status quo, and strive for excellence in your own endeavors. Know well-let these women teach us-that one voice can, in fact, change the course of the world.