Top 5 Famous Speeches By Women
5 Famous speeches by women that empower and inspire
Need to write a speech for your class or an important business event, but have any ideas about what to write? Consider drawing inspiration from powerful speeches by famous women that captivated the attention of millions and left their traces in history.
Today, we have collected the most famous speeches by women on women's success and role in the society, women's rights, equal pay, mental health, and more. Learn from women who managed to get their voices heard and boost your speech-writing skills!
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Examples of famous speeches by women
Hillary Clinton, Women's rights are human rights speech
"...human rights are women's rights - and women's rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely - and the right to be heard. Women must enjoy the right to participate fully in the social and political lives of their countries if we want freedom and democracy to thrive and endure."
Given in 1995 at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, this speech emphasized the global importance of gender equality. In this famous speech, Clinton focused on the connection between women's rights and human rights, and challenged biases that fuel discrimination and inequality. She also called for unity and commitment to the idea of fostering equal opportunities, which became a pivotal moment for promoting gender equality internationally.
Greta Thunberg, We'll be watching you
"People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"
Greta Thunberg impressed everyone with her United Nations Climate Action Summit speech in 2019. Despite being a teenager, she delivered one of the most recognizable and great speeches on climate change. Greta called for the urgent need to handle climate crisis issues, demanding immediate action from the world's leaders.
She also passionately criticized the lack of sufficient steps from both the US administration and governments and emphasized disastrous consequences for future generations. This speech became one of the most outstanding contributions to climate change movements, encouraging people to take care of their planet.
Oprah Winfrey, Golden Globe Award Acceptance Speech
"For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up."
In her empowering Golden Globe Award acceptance speech in 2018, Oprah addressed the issue of gender inequality and the importance of solidarity for creating a lasting change. She also encouraged women to speak up and tell their stories, pointing out that women should be treated with the same respect as men. She ended the speech with a powerful call to action, stating that the new day when no women will be silenced is within our reach. In her other speeches, Oprah has many times cited another landmark speech delivered by a woman, "Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth.
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
"This opportunity is now coming within your power to give her. For my belief is that if we live another century or so – I am talking of the common life which is the real life and not of the little separate lives which we live as individuals – and have each of us rooms of our own; if we have the habit of freedom and the courage to write exactly what we think..."
Source: https://www.speech.almeida.co.uk/virginia-woolf
Virginia Woolf is a modernist British writer famous for the exploration of feminist themes. This speech, written in 1928, argues the importance for all the girls to have a physical and metaphorical space where they can express their ideas. In her opinion, this would greatly benefit society and, if women can get quality education, the future world will be more enlightened.
Emma Watson, Gender Equality Is Your Issue Too
“If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled."
Source: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too
Emma Watson delivered this speech in 2014 while presenting her HeForShe campaign in partnership with UN Women. She explained the importance of involving men in the feminist movement and challenging gender stereotypes. Watson also pointed out that it is normal for women to earn as much as their male counterparts. Gender stereotypes harm both men and women, so she encouraged everyone to pursue equal rights and opportunities for all genders.
Speeches given by Nobel Peace Prize winners and all the female nominees for other awards have inspired millions to think differently or take action. Read these speeches to find new ideas for writing, or quote the words by famous women in your speech. And, if you get stuck, experts of SpeechPaths will prepare a powerful speech for you - discounts of up to 20% are available!
What is the most famous short speech?
The shortest speech ever given is a famous George Washington's second inaugural address. It has only 135 words, or two short paragraphs. In this short text, the speaker recognizes the honor of being selected as a Chief Magistrate in their presidential inauguration speech. The speech is sure of historical significance, so you might want to draw inspiration from the text, especially when you need to prepare and deliver a concise speech.
The secrets of writing a speech that gets a standing ovation
By studying speeches by famous women delivered at award ceremonies and international events, we can identify the rules of writing an awesome, impressive speech:
- choose a relevant subject - focus on the topic relevant to your audience, such as human rights, gender inequality, education, climate change, or else;
- add an engaging opening - all captivating speeches start with a strong opener that catches attention in seconds. Try using an anecdote, a thought-provoking question, curious statistics, or an empowering quote;
- use a concise structure - make sure that the speech has a logical structure with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Thus, the audience will easily follow it and take in your point;
- appeal to emotions - great speeches resonate with the audience on an emotional level. Use metaphors, examples, vivid language, and repetition to evoke emotional reaction and make people relate to your words;
- polish your delivery - even the best speech will fall flat without effective delivery. Practice in front of the mirror, maintain eye contact, and use appropriate body language. Vary your vocal tone to emphasize the key points.
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