A lot of shows make women look like sex objects or the damsel in distress that needs rescuing, but sometimes there are a few characters that are so strong, they inspire us to be better in our daily lives.
Nothing is more empowering than when a woman stands up for herself and fight for what she wants as well as what she stands for. They may not be the kicking-butt type but each of these women represents a quality that is truly admirable and we should all take note.
1) Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
There is more to Elle Woods than just blonde hair and a cute Chihuahua. Plenty of lessons can be learned from Elle such as using our privileges for the good and that being ourselves is always the better choice. She also proved all her haters wrong by working hard and being confident.
Best line: “You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”
2) Olivia Pope, Scandal
She’s a fixer that wears really expensive suits and fights for everything that she believes in, no matter the cost. She always, without fail, gets thing done. Olivia inspires us all to work harder, be smarter and have beautiful hair no matter the time of the day! Also the leader of the free world is at her mercy. You have to be one hell of a woman for that to happen!
Best line: “I am not a toy that you can play with when you’re bored or lonely or horny. I am not the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie. I am not a fantasy. If you want me, earn me! Until then, we are done.”
3) Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy
There are a lot of strong characters in Grey’s Anatomy that we can all look up to, but my personal favourite would have to be the lovely Callie Torres. She has gone through it all, been cheated, survived a car crash that almost killed her, lost her best friend and father to her child. She was also disowned by her father and got sued for malpractice but through it all, she came up on top and is an amazing mother to Sofia. She is the epitome of beauty on the inside and out.
Best line: “I’m so sorry. That makes me human. That does not make me negligent. And if I can’t feel for my patients without getting sued, then I guess I’m just going to keep getting sued because that’s who I am. I won’t apologize for that.”
4) Arya Stark, Game of Thrones
As a young teenage girl, Arya Stark has got some guts! At such a young age, this girl witnessed her father get beheaded and went on to avenge half her family. Most girls at that age would be more worried if her crush liked her back! Not Arya, she posed as a page boy to collect information on her family’s enemies. I think we could all learn a thing or two about being independent and tough from her.
Best line: “My father is Hand of the King. I am not a boy, I am Arya Stark of Winterfell. And if you lay a hand on me my father will have both of your heads on spikes. Now, are you going to let me by, or do I have to smack you on the ear to help you with your hearing?”
5) Tara Knowles, Sons of Anarchy
It’s very hard to keep your sh*t together when you have a beautiful man staring into your soul but Tara Knowles is not one of those women that will break. Sure, she gave in to the love of her life Jax, was totally okay with the fact that he killed people, and dealt with his crazy mother. But she took his son with another woman in and cared for him as her own, now that is admirable.
Best line: “I’ll die if I have to. At least I know I tried to save them from becoming what you are.”
6) Samantha Jones, Sex and the City
Choosing from the Sex and the City girls was a tough choice as they’re all equally inspiring in their own way but Samantha Jones was truly a memorable character. For some, she was a little too outspoken, a little too promiscuous and a little too much, but I thought Samantha was the ideal character of what an empowered woman would be. She taught us all that you don’t need anything, not even a man to make ourselves happy. Successful, smart, witty and independent, she is what we should all aspire to be.
Best line: “I love you, but I love me more.”
7) Cristina Yang, Grey’s Anatomy
Another Grey’s Anatomy veteran, no list of powerful women would be complete without Ms. Yang. She’s brilliant, beautiful and probably the only bride that can pull of a red wedding dress. This lady can get over pretty much every crappy thing that fate has thrown at her. She reminds us all that there is no need to settle, and believing in yourself is the greatest tool you can have if you want to succeed in life!
Best line: “I’m not a spoon. I’m a knife and I’m going to stab you in the eyeball.”
