SOME AWESOME THINGS THEY SAID ABOUT BEING WOMEN OF THE YEAR:

Oh, yeah, I’m trying to do it with a straight face. He was always special, you know? And not special, like, He’s gonna be important, he’s gonna be president. He was special in terms of his honesty, his sincerity, his compassion for other people. Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it’s, Who are you as a person? That’s the advice I would give to women: Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. Look at how the guy treats his mother and what he says about women. How he acts with children he doesn’t know. And, more important, how does he treat you? When you’re dating a man, you should always feel good. You should never feel less than. You should never doubt yourself. You shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t make you completely happy and make you feel whole. And if you’re in that relationship and you’re dating, then my advice is, don’t get married. -Michelle Obama on Relationships/Marriage-

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

—From “Phenomenal Woman,” by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou on Inspiration:

“When a person is going through hell,” she says, “and she encounters someone who went through hellish hell and survived, then she can say, ‘Mine is not so bad as all that. She came through, and so can I.’”

Nonetheless “some say that the campaign is a struggle, but I found the campaign is a chance,” Azadeh, a 30-year-old artist and activist from Tehran, e-mailed to Glamour. “It’s a chance for us to care about ourselves and change our situation.” -The Women of Iran’s One Million Signatures Campaign-

Laura Ling wants no sympathy, just change: “To take risks to draw attention to these women is part of our job. It’s why I do what I do.” -Laura Ling "The Journalist"-

“When you see the damage done to women, it leaves you powerfully moved,” says Rice, who recalled meeting a rape survivor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “She asked me to do everything I could to end the horrible violence. I gave her my word that I would.” -Susan Rice-

“She said, ‘Go get her.’” A parent to two adopted children, Aronson is determined to show the world’s orphans that she will always look out for them. She notes that she’s learned to say “see you soon” to the kids in six languages. “I never say goodbye.” -Jane Aronson-

“My goal is not to be the best athlete in the world,” she says. “My goal is to help others…. When I cut the ribbon at that school, I felt so genunely happy. I’ve never felt that way winning Wimbledon or any other tournament. And I have won them all!” -Serena Williams-

“When people think about computer science, they imagine people with pocket protectors and thick glasses who code all night,” Mayer jokes. “I do code all night! I am the stereotype, but I also break the stereotype.” Among her goals: to bring more women into technology and teach them to take chances. “Get in a bit over your head,” she says. “That’s how you grow and learn and stretch yourself.” -Marissa Mayer-

At the end of each episode, Poehler and her preteen guests bust a move. “Being silly is how you get your power,” she says. “No one looks stupid when they’re having fun.” -Amy Poehler-

"I’ve never really paused. If I had time to stop and think about what I was doing, I might have run for the hills!” I’ve never really paused. If I had time to stop and think about what I was doing, I might have run for the hills!” -Stella McCartney-

“the daughter of, the girlfriend of, the niece of,” adding that she wants to be someone “considered for her work alone.” -Maria Shriver

"Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women." -Rihanna

Here you have it...all the wonderful Women of the Year for 2009, Check out their videos from both the ceremony and their appearances on numerous talk shows.

Congrats Women of the Year, you deserve it!

Most Memorable Moments from the Glamour Women of the Year 2009

7 Most Inspiring Moments from Women of the Year 2009

To read more about this year's Women of the Year Awards, please click here