Ashley Graham wants to use her platform to tell people what she "stands for".
Ashley Graham
The 31-year-old model has praised the beauty industry for being an area in which "women are actually paid more" than men, and says that being a successful female model now comes with a "voice" which she wants to use to stand up for causes she believes in.
She said: "Women are actually paid more than the male models. I don't know if there's any other industry where women get paid more ... Now, as a model, you have a voice; you have a brain; they want to hear what your platform is and what you stand for."
The curvaceous beauty says she only recently "gained a voice" after years of people telling her what they thought about her body, and she's now ready to flip the script and voice her own opinions on the way she looks.
She added to Allure magazine's July 2019 issue: "My body has always been treated as a thing and not mine. You're the sexy girl. You're the naked girl. Men are going to idolise your hourglass figure. It was always about what others thought about my body, until I gained a voice. Now I get to tell people what I think of my body."
Meanwhile, Ashley recently admitted that despite speaking out about body confidence, she still has her own insecurities, and she hopes talking about her struggles will help other women.
She said: "I've always been very honest in sharing the insecurities I have. Cellulite, back fat.
"It opened a door for other women to share their insecurities. If we all feel the same way, why are we stressing about it? I've never gone to therapy but having these conversations really does help."
However, Ashley no longer takes negative comments on board and prefers to focus on the positive.
She said: "I listen to my fans and I value their feedback. I disregard the haters. Their words are meant to hurt me."
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