Silver influencers making their voices heard
This year’s International Women’s Day is about breaking the bias. Break the bias is a cry for equality. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination
Whilst Instagram silver influencers might seem a frivolous choice to interview about bias, we wanted to reach out to women who had built an audience. Women of a certain age, who are winning in what can be a really judgmental game.
We asked them about their inspiration, about how they tackled bias – not just sexist bias, but ageism too – and what advice they’d give to younger women.
Here’s what they had to say…
@rachelperu1
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Rachel Peru is an influencer who is promoting both silver haired and curvier ladies as a mature model. She has been making strides promoting body positivity and self-love in older women, and has been inspiring and listening to other older ladies stories on her weekly podcast ‘Out of the Bubble’.
I never imagined I’d be modelling lingerie and swimwear at 51
“I am constantly inspired hearing about other women that are stepping out of their comfort zones and trying new things later in life.” She says. “And I have an amazing group of women in my Step Out of the Bubble Facebook group that genuinely bring me joy every day with their support for one another. That feeling of sisterhood inspires me.
“I never imagined I’d be modelling lingerie and swimwear at 51. Also I think that’s an important part of breaking down the sexist bias, that women’s bodies are something to hide away after we reach a certain age which all adds to that fear around ageing.
“I love being able to show that yes, my body may be changing as we get older. But we can still feel good, and enjoy our bodies without the fear of judgement at any age. Being my authentic self and showing other women that we don’t have to be ashamed of our grey hair and mature bodies is something I feel really strongly about.”
“If I could give younger women advice? Remember that you are good enough just as you are right now. Fill your life and social media feeds with diversity so you remind yourself that we are all different and all have our unique talents to bring to the world.”
@midlifechic
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Nikki Garnett is a blogger writing about her experiences as a mature lady and gives an insight into #agelessstyle. Her blog, midlifechic is well worth a read.
Throughout my career I’ve found that a sharp mixture of intelligence and humour has been the most useful weapon
“I’m inspired by the freedom that working for myself gives me. It can be scary but looking back and knowing that everything I’ve achieved over the last 21 years has been self-driven means that I’m always keen to find out what’s coming next.
“Throughout my career I’ve found that a sharp mixture of intelligence and humour has been the most useful weapon for shooting down sexism whenever I’ve come across it.
“As for young women: work hard and build expertise in your chosen field as fast as you can. For me, building a really strong CV in my twenties enabled me to balance career and family on my own terms from my mid-thirties onwards. It gave me the proof I needed to be able to pick and choose the projects that I wanted to work on.”
@msorrig
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Mette Sorrig is a fashion and lifestyle influencer from Copenhagen, Denmark. She’s built a reputation as a fashion forward fifty-plus, who also offers fashion styling for both personal and business wear.
…pursue your dreams even if the position does not exist yet. You might be the first to do it
“I get inspired everyday by my surrounding, by what I read and see in the streets of Copenhagen or in here. And I also keep records of things I like to go back and see.
“I have experienced sexist bias both being too young or too old. I think that the place where we see it very clearly is in the income difference between men and women. It has been like that for many years, but is gradually moving in the right direction both because women move up in leadership positions.
“My advice would be always to pursue your dreams even if the position does not exist yet. You might be the first to do it and break the barriers.”
Like this? Check out the Fifty-Plus Fashionistas
Lili works across all the channels; writing articles, taking photographs, creating content, and designing eye-capturing imagery. She’s an animal-lover who cries just seeing a picture of a baby sloth.
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