by Rachel Tucker
For years the public have campaigned for equal rights for women, but are tattooed women as socially accepted as tattooed men?
Military Man
For countries like the UK and America, tattoos began for sailors and the military as a way of commemorating their unit, the men they killed and the wars they fought in, according to Sailor Jerry. War was no place for a woman, so neither were tattoos.
Tattooed sailor on the USS New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Fast forward a few hundred years and women are uniting, ready to take over the tattooed world. According to Medermis Laser Clinic, women are more likely to be tattooed than men, with the most popular age group being 30-39 years old.
Acceptance
22-year-old, Mia Smith, is training as a tattoo apprentice at The Kitchen Body Art, Westgate, and says they are seeing more women through the shop doors. She said: “Most of the women I know are getting tattooed in later life as opposed to the ages of 18 to 25. Women are more confident to be “who they are” now.”
Mia Smith, tattoo apprentice. Photo courtesy of Mia Smith.
Mia feels the current young-adult generation are more accepting.
“I think past generations don’t accept it as well as we do.”
Full interview with Mia:
But Trevor Charles, a 60-year-old engineer doesn’t think older women should have tattoos.
“I don’t mind tattoos on younger people, but on older women, discretion is a better thing.”
Full interview with Trevor:
“Society has changed”
As 20-year-old customer service worker, Sam Shearer, found out, there is still some prejudice against tattoos, even on younger people. She told Ink & Devotion: “A customer at work saw I had tattoos and said that I belong to the devil, and then told me there is no place for people like me in the world.
“Society has changed and is continuing to change rapidly, and tattoos and interests are becoming more accepted and welcomed. Tattoos and an individuals choice on self presentation does not limit potential in life, it doesn’t make you a bad person, and it certainly doesn’t define you as a human being.”
Who do you think is the more tattooed sex in the UK? Are tattoos more acceptable now than 20 years ago? Take our poll below, leave a comment or tweet us with your thoughts.
Take a look at our gallery to see the work of some of the UK’s best female tattooists.
Ink & Devotion 