16 Creative Halloween Costumes that Celebrate Strong Women

On Halloween, more than on any other day of the year, children can let their imagination run free and slip into any character they dare dream of. Boys have always had a myriad of strong role models like superheroes, soldiers, policemen, firemen, or doctors to emulate. Little girls on the other hand, were often left with far fewer empowering role model choices, but that is changing quickly.

We’ve chosen 16 women from history, sports, literature, movies, and pop culture that celebrate strong women who have positively impacted the world around them.

1. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

RBG, as she’s often being referred to, became a supreme court justice in 1993. She was the second of four women to ever serve the supreme court. She is known and respected for her strong beliefs in gender equality and women’s rights, and is a strong role model for any girl.

(Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com)

2. Suffragette

Suffragettes were women who fought for the right to vote in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Women in the UK won the right to vote in 1918 while their US counterparts had to wait until 1920. Channel your inner Susan B. Anthony on Halloween.

(Everett Historical / Shutterstock.com)

3. Rosie the Riveter

Rosie was an iconic World War II cultural figure who represented the women who went to work in factories and shipyards to replace the male workers who were sent abroad to serve in the war. Until this day, she’s a symbol of empowerment for strong women and girls everywhere.

(Rob Bryon / Shutterstock/com)

4. Serena Williams

Serena is a professional tennis player and holds a place among the three most successful women to ever play in the sport. She and her sister Venus raised the level of athleticism in professional tennis and listing their achievements would take over this list. Outside of tennis, Serena is a strong advocate for social change and is well known for her charitable work.

(Jimmy48Photography / Shutterstock.com)

5. Wonder Woman

DC Comics’ character Wonder Woman has been celebrated as a symbol of female empowerment ever since her first appearance in 1941. She was introduced to a new generation of girls in 2017 with a self-titled superhero movie starring Gal Gadot as the Amazon warrior princess.

(Roberto Galan / Shutterstock.com)

6. Hermione Granger

Hermione is an integral character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books and movies. Muggle-born, Hermione is the intelligent, level-headed, and loyal best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She excels at everything she does and what girl doesn’t want to be just like her.

(Brothers Art / Shutterstock.com)

7. Sally Ride

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space only preceeded by two female Russian cosmonauts. Sally was one of 8,000 people who answered an ad in the Stanford University student newspaper looking for NASA candidates. She excelled at her job and helped open new career paths for girls.

(LightField Studios / Shutterstock.com)

8. Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and escaped to freedom. She was an abolitionist and political activist who bravely made 19 missions to rescue 70 slaves through the Underground Railroad. Harriet is a strong social justice role model for girls of all backgrounds.

(Felix Lipov / Shutterstock.com)

9. Lisa Simpson

Lisa is the middle child and clearly the most intelligent character in the animated TV show The Simpsons. She is always the voice of reason and morality, and her character developed as the show went along. Lisa became a vegetarian, an environmentalist, a feminist, and an advocate of liberal political causes.

(Art Villone / Shutterstock.com)

10. Joan of Arc

Joan, also known as the maid of Orleans, was a peasant girl in France during the Middle Ages who led an army to victory and broke the siege on the city of Orleans during the very long war between France and England. She is a symbol of French unity and nationalism, but her message of rising up against injustice is universal.

(Stasia04 / Shutterstock.com)

11. Lady Gaga

Born as Stefani Germanotta, Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Aside from her incredible musical talent, she is known for her unconventionality and visual experimentation. She has become a champion of LGBT rights, youth empowerment and anti-bullying and works tirelessly as a philanthropist and social activist. Girls and boys alike can let their imaginations run wild on a lady Gaga costume.

(JStone / Shutterstock.com)

12. Amelia Earhart

Amelia was an American aviation pioneer and the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean. Most people remember her because of the mysterious disappearance of her plane during an attempt to fly around the works in 1937 but Amelia should be remembered for her work in promoting female pilots, and her support for an Equal Rights Amendment.

(Jenn Huls / Shutterstock.com)

13. Frida Kahlo

Frida was a Mexican artist who painted self-portraits and many works that were inspired by her country’s nature and culture. She used her art to delve into questions about identity, gender, class, and race. Frida’s vibrant paintings beautifully capture the culture of the people of Mexico and that makes her a popular cultural icon.

(Sarine Arslanian / Shutterstock.com)

14. Leslie Knope

Leslie is a fictional protagonist in the NBC TV show Parks and Recreation. Throughout most of the shows run, she worked as the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation of the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. She is the archetype of what a dedicated public servant should be and works tirelessly to improve her town while aspiring to be the first female president of the US. Her dream can truly be a girl’s future reality.

15. Daenerys Targaryen a.k.a. The Mother of Dragons

Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons surely needs no introduction. She is one of the most beloved characters of the series and constantly strives to free the oppressed, bring justice to those who were wronged and take back her rightful place as the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Her strength and sense of justice can be a true inspiration for anyone.

(Timo Nausch / Shutterstock.com)

16. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen is an American comedian, actress, talk show host, and LGBT activist. She made history as the first openly Lesbian actress playing an openly lesbian character on TV. Ellen brought cultural acceptance and became a role model for LGBT youth in the US and abroad. She also promotes veganism and animal rights and does it all with the utmost charm and kindness.

(Featureflah Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com)