Women Get Told

"#WomenGetTold You won't be taken seriously if you act too silly – If silly means having a personality, I'm happy with that! My smile is what makes me most beautiful." – Shakia, 28

"#WomenGetTold Red heads shouldn't wear red – I wear what I want." – Leslie

"#WomenGetTold Well, you must feel like you're a woman because you're wearing a dress... – I have been open about being intersex, and some people have felt they could then comment on what I should or shouldn’t wear in order to be perceived as a woman. But I don't care. I love trousers and loafers and that has nothing to do with gender." – Susannah, 24

"#WomenGetTold Women have to be voluptuous – I used to feel incomplete as a woman because I haven't developed fuller breasts. I totally love my body and don't care about gender expectations anymore." – Victoria

"#WomenGetTold Act like a mum – Just because I don't look stereotypically mumsy doesn't mean I'm not a great mum to my kids. I love my style… and so do they." – Misha, 51

"#WomenGetTold You can't have good looks and brains too. – That's funny... I do." – Rosie

"#WomenGetTold You should wear something that flatters your figure more – I refuse to wear anything overly girly – I would say my dress is tomboy-ish. I haven’t worn an actual dress in over 15 years." – Leslie

"#WomenGetTold Cover your freckles – I embrace my freckles, they make me unique!" – Marlyee, 28

"#WomenGetTold You'd look better with long hair – I shave my head because I love to challenge beauty stereotypes… and I look good." – Eka, 33

"#WomenGetTold Where’s your girlfriend? – Well, my husband wouldn't approve of that! People sometimes express confusion at my sexuality, especially since I have short hair. They are not aware that I have been with my husband for 27 years and have two teenagers." – Misha, 51

"#WomenGetTold Your hair's so interesting. Can I touch it? – If I have my natural hair out people often squeeze it like its an alien substance. This makes me very uncomfortable!" – Afua, 22

"#WomenGetTold Pluck your eyebrows – My eyebrows are unique to me and I’m proud to wear them naturally everyday." – Maryam

"#WomenGetTold You would be so pretty if you lost a few pounds – Love who you are! I am very short and I'm curvy. If you pretend to be someone you're not, people can smell it a mile away." – Lily, 23

#WomenGetTold Gingers have no soul – Society told everyone that having red hair isn’t desirable. I damaged my hair for years with trying to go blonde, but once I decided to embrace my red roots for all their worth, I couldn't be happier." – Sarah, 24

"#WomenGetTold You look like a guy – "I don't mind, I take it as a compliment!" – Becks, 30

"#WomenGetTold This is too heavy for you to carry – I may be small but that doesn’t mean I’m weak!" – Rosie

"#WomenGetTold You're too sexy to be a lawyer – "Just because I'm intelligent and educated doesn't mean I should look or act boring." – Anna, 40

"#WomenGetTold Motherhood or career, you can’t have both – "Actually you can. The older I get the more I realize that confidence in yourself can carry you anywhere.  And where did I get that confidence? Becoming a mum of six and realizing I didn’t have to live up to anyone else's expectations but mine was refreshing. Beauty comes from within and it’s that feeling that’s carried me to where I am today." – Bella, 52

"#WomenGetTold Your look is too young and bohemian for your age – I like the way I dress. To me, there is no such thing as “dressing your age and I embrace that."– Kim, 50

"#WomenGetTold You should dye your hair – Why, because it's greying? I like my hair as it is. I am ageing, there is nothing wrong with that." – Wendy, 52

"#WomenGetTold You won't get far in this industry – I may be small, but I'm not weak and useless. I've persisted, and now I'm an editor for a major youth media publication." – Emma, 26

"#WomenGetTold You would look much prettier if you lost some weight – I believe that real beauty comes from health, kindness and openness, is not about what size you are." – Phoebe, 38

"#WomenGetTold I didn't think Asian girls had big bums... – I take it as a compliment and work out to perfect it." – Sehee, 21

"#WomenGetTold You look so…different – "As a child, all I wanted was to be like everyone else, but as an adult I've become so much more interested in being unique. I stopped wearing a wig and started to feel confident about who I was. I'm very recognisable, but these days I feel positive about that." – Christa, 42

"#WomenGetTold Why don't you act more like a woman? – I may be a female bouncer, but that doesn't make me any less of a woman. I use my femininity and confidence to my advantage." – Kaz, 48

"#WomenGetTold You’re too pretty to be a lesbian – What does a lesbian even look like anyway?!?" – Lily, 23

"#WomenGetTold Piercings are unprofessional – I've got loads of piercings.. and I'm also a successful woman, they're not related! I love how I look, and that I have my own thing." – Eka, 33

"#WomenGetTold Act your age – Women are scared to age. I am 51 but I feel 20 and I celebrate every birthday I reach." – Kim, 50

"#WomenGetTold Calm down…is it that time of the month? – Whether I'm quiet and reflective, or assertive and have something to say, has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a woman." – Shakia, 28

"#WomenGetTold Where are you really from? – I am half Chinese and often get exoticised. As a child I wanted to be blonde like my Mom, but eventually I realised there was more than the blue-eyed, blonde-haired western model for beauty." – Victoria

"#WomenGetTold Taking pictures of yourself is shallow – Selfies can be an act of confidence, not narcissism." – Sarah, 24

"#WomenGetTold With your baby-face, you won't be taken seriously – If being petite means you don't command a presence, you have to set things straight yourself." – Monica

"#WomenGetTold It's a shame you have all those tattoos when you have such a pretty face... – All of me is beautiful, and my tattoos are part of that!" – Kaz, 48

"#WomenGetTold You should smile more – I'm in charge of my body. And trust me, I smile when I'm happy…" – Emma, 26