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" I think the real problem is all the negative connotations people have with that term. They think, 'Oh my God! I don't want to be 'plus-size!'' But people attach too much significance to terms. We can't let these terms define us or our beauty. "

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" I'm from Ghana, in West Africa, and all the women in Ghana absolutely love shea butter. We use it for everything, head to toe. I've used it all my life. "

Philomena Kwao

Life

My Life

Women

" In Ghana, most of the women I know do not identify as sexy, and the reason may be cultural. With imported beauty standards from the West, it seems that many African women feel they need to be fair and slim to be beautiful. "

" Sometimes you never realise how much of an effect you're having on people until you're told, and the fan mail I receive has made me very aware of the positive effects I have on other people. "

Philomena Kwao

Sometimes

You

" Health management is my passion, and I hope to further my career in that area in the future. "

" You cannot determine someone's health by the BMI alone. There are many factors that contribute to the health on an individual. If we're going to start using BMI to police straight size models, what's next? The plus size industry? To be honest, if it was down to BMI alone, most plus size models - including myself - wouldn't be working. "

" My hair is extremely dry and fragile, so moisture is key. I love black castor oil, shea butter, and lots of water. "

" Because of social media, it's bridged the gap between the advertisers and fashion and allowed people to find their group. It really widens what people are viewing and allows brands to see what the public wants to see. "

" I've been lucky enough to do a few editorials in the U.K., but I've never even been on a casting for mainstream commercial work. When I try to understand it, I think people are scared to try something new. "

" I want to use my voice to better health care for pregnant women. "

" My mother was born in Ghana, but she moved to the U.K. when my sisters and I were born. "

" If you call me 'fat,' it doesn't bother me because I just don't care. "

" As a woman of color and curve model, I never imagined when I started modeling that I would be featured in the pages of 'Sports Illustrated.' "

" Celebrate the things that make you individual and unique, and realize that there's no one in this world that looks like you. "

" Women are hit especially hard in regions of ongoing conflict. Before, during, and after conflict, women bear the brunt of the consequences of war. They are left as the providers and guardians, responsible for rebuilding their country one family at a time. "

" Beauty, to me, is not a physical thing. It's a feeling. "

" The #SwimSexy campaign is redefining standards of beauty, and I'm proud to be a part of it. My hope is that this campaign connects with women and girls of all ages, body-types, races, and backgrounds. "

" If I'm feeling really, really crappy, it sounds so cliche, but if I wake up extra early in the morning and do some sort of physical activity, I usually feel a little bit better. Or I do other things that make me happy. "

" It's refreshing to see plus women being treated as part of the fashion community as a whole and not just a separate piece or separate different thing. "

" I think, for so long, women of different sizes have been pigeonholed, and with every campaign, it's always an adaptation of making fashion but for plus sizes. Sometimes it's in a little bit of a negative way, and plus is always a little bit slow to be fashion forward. "

" I think that we need to allow words to be words. If my self-esteem and my self-worth linger on words that are used to describe me, then you have a problem in itself. "

" The curvy community has really given me a voice because people want to see someone who looks like they do. They want to know their beauty is valid. "

Philomena Kwao

Community

Beauty

" You can't say you're inclusive when you only have one plus-size, hourglass white model. "

" I try not to assign labels to myself. Sometimes I shop in the plus section, and sometimes I don't. I feel we attach too much significance to labels, and ultimately, it doesn't really matter. "

" Women I've met in different countries have told me that seeing my face in magazines gives them the courage to love themselves. "

Philomena Kwao

Women

Love

" There is beauty everywhere. But if I had to narrow it down, I absolutely adore Beyonce. She's the ultimate icon for me. I also love Naomi CampbelI, Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, Daria Werbowy, and Genevieve Nnaji. "

Philomena Kwao

She

Ultimate

" I think the fashion industry and the media industry in general have a responsibility to make sure that they celebrate the rich differences in all our backgrounds to make sure we don't fall into the trap of reducing beauty to one specific mold. "

" My mom and my sisters have helped me to be comfortable with who I am. It's a process of loving yourself as you are. I can say that it's been a journey. I see the changes little by little. "

Philomena Kwao

Yourself

Mom

" I think that the plus-size industry has been great with size diversity, but it hasn't really been great for skin tone diversity. "

" My journey into modeling began completely by chance. I was in school finishing up my master's degree in health management and policy when a friend entered me into an online modeling competition. "

Philomena Kwao

Competition

Health

" Put on your bikini, put on whatever you want to wear, and don't worry about what other people are saying. "