--- description: Though the post-election "nasty woman" and Elizabeth Warren tattoos may be all over social media, women and ink have a long history. title: The Feminist History of Women and Tattoos image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt211cde53cc83f6ed/6988cc2e8e060156e646a407/woman-tattoo-artist-nevertheless-persisted.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Feminist History of Women and Tattoos  by [Samantha Cooney](/author/samantha-cooney/)  ## Samantha Cooney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2017 4:28 PM CUT  Getty Images  by [Samantha Cooney](/author/samantha-cooney/)  ## Samantha Cooney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2017 4:28 PM CUT Since the [election](http://motto.time.com/4554621/election-day-hillary-clinton-womens-history/ "undefined"), Jess Koala, a [tattoo artist](http://www.blackandbluetattoo.com/jesskoala/ "undefined") at Black + Blue in San Francisco, has seen an uptick in the number of clients looking to get [feminist](http://motto.time.com/4746935/jessica-valenti-feminism-politics-relationships/ "undefined") tattoos. She’s inked women with Elizabeth Warren’s [face](https://www.instagram.com/p/BQv25L0FCVM/?taken-by=jess%5Fkoala%5Ftattoo&hl=en "undefined"), a [gravestone](https://www.instagram.com/p/BTevr%5FHlaW9/?taken-at=847299&hl=en "undefined") memorializing the death of gender roles and more than a handful of [Venus symbols](http://motto.time.com/4623692/washington-post-male-symbol-womens-march-inauguration/ "undefined"). “I think people are just trying to wear their ideals as a badge of honor,” Koala told _Motto_. “It’s permanent — you’re making a very clear statement: ‘This is what I believe in, this is who I am.’ That just fits very naturally with activism.” Koala’s clients aren’t alone. In February, more than 100 women [lined](http://motto.time.com/4678921/nevertheless-she-persisted-tattoos-minnesota/ "undefined") up at a Minneapolis shop to get a variation of “Nevertheless, she persisted” tattooed on their bodies in homage to Warren after she was [silenced](http://time.com/4663708/elizabeth-warren-senate-silencing-internet-reactions/ "undefined") by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for attempting to read a letter written by Coretta Scott King to oppose the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Ahead of the Women’s March on Washington, several women got [inked](https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/01/23/feminist-tattoos-womens-march-tattoo-paradise-washington-dc/ "undefined") with slogans of the resistance, including “rise” and “solidarity.” And many women sought out “nasty woman” [tattoos](http://www.refinery29.com/2017/01/137845/feminist-tattoos-womens-march "undefined") after Donald Trump used the [insult](http://time.com/4537960/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-nasty-woman-debate/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") to refer to his opponent, [Hillary Clinton](http://motto.time.com/4763690/hillary-clinton-misogyny-campaign-loss-donald-trump-james-comey/ "undefined"), at the final presidential debate. Though these “nasty woman” tattoos may have made recent headlines, feminist body art is not a new trend. In fact, [tattoos](http://time.com/4725634/tattoo-ink-dangerous/ "undefined") have long served as a symbol for female empowerment and sparked discussions about ownership of women’s bodies. [Margot Mifflin](http://margotmifflin.com/ "undefined"), a professor of English at Lehman College of the City University of New York, chronicled the relationship between women and ink in her book [_Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo_](https://www.amazon.com/Bodies-Subversion-Secret-History-Tattoo/dp/1576876136 "undefined")_,_ which was originally [published](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/books/bodies-of-subversion-explores-womens-tattoos.html "undefined") in 1997\. In the 19th century, tattoos were a popular accessory for [wealthy socialites](http://time.com/4645964/tattoo-history/ "undefined"). That fad died down in the early 20th Century, according to Mifflin, and body ink subsequently emerged as a symbol of masculinity — with many parlors often [refusing](http://www.pbs.org/skinstories/history/beyond.html "undefined") to tattoo women unless they were married and accompanied by their spouse. But, as Mifflin told _Motto_, that changed in the 1970s when the [counter-culture](http://motto.time.com/4695248/vietnam-war-protester-trump-pepsi/ "undefined") and feminist movements led to a spike in the number of women getting tattoos. In the 1990s, Mifflin said, more breast cancer survivors began to use body art to [cover](http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/03/health/breast-cancer-tattoos-turning-points/ "undefined") their mastectomy scars, which has [continued](http://motto.time.com/4486200/breast-cancer-survivor-tattoo/ "undefined") today. “I theorize in my book that it was about reasserting claim over their bodies during a time when women’s bodies issues were so prominent in the media from discussions and debates over breast cancer, eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, motherhood and abortion,” Mifflin said. “I think that tattoos became a way for women to take control of their own bodies and define them how they wanted to.” In the late 20th century and early 21st century, tattoos became less of an act of resistance and more of a permanent part of pop culture. But while more men and women got tattoos, men were cast as cool while women rocking ink were [branded](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeswomanfiles/2011/10/25/visible-tattoos-and-other-corporate-no-nos/#703cccc77afc "undefined") as dangerous or promiscuous (see: [tramp stamps](https://www.racked.com/2015/5/11/8573015/tramp-stamp-lower-back-tattoo-stigma "undefined")). That lingering perception hasn’t stopped women from embracing body art: a 2012 [poll](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tattoos-women-idUSTRE8241SF20120305 "undefined") found that more women than men have tattoos. But women still lag behind when it comes to working behind the chair. While there isn’t a lot of [concrete data](https://mic.com/articles/136200/here-s-what-female-tattoo-artists-really-want-you-to-know#.5WpztTGtf "undefined") on the gender ratio of tattoo artists across the country, Mifflin said that more women have broken into the [historically male-dominated](http://newsarchive.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news-205376.html "undefined") industry, especially in the 21st century. She attributed the rise of women in the industry to the popularity of tattoos and the visibility of other female tattoo artists, like [Kat Von D](https://www.katvondbeauty.com/ "undefined"). _“_It still is quite dominated by men but not nearly as much as it used to be. There are many more female tattooists out there, and there’s been a growing number since the new millennium,” Mifflin said. “That also changes tattooing for women because when you have women designing and applying the tattoo, you have a greater consideration for women’s bodies and the designs of the tattoos on them.” That’s been true for [Kelsey Rogers](http://www.inkinktat.com/artists/kelsey-tattoo-artist/ "undefined"), the owner and lead artist at the all-female tattoo shop [Ink Ink](http://www.inkinktat.com/ "undefined") in Springfield, Missouri. Rogers told Motto that while she’s seen the post-election feminist tattoos popping up everywhere on social media, her shop has been inking women with empowering statements for years. “To us, it’s not a new fad,” Rogers said. “It’s always been there — probably because they felt at home getting those tattoos with us.” But, like in most industries, female tattoo artists inevitably still face sexism. “I have gone to some tattoo conventions and other tattoo artists will ask if we’re the girlfriends of the shop. Having our entire business run by women, a lot of people just think we’re a joke.” [Stephanie Tamez](https://savedtattoo.com/portfolio/stephanie-tamez/ "undefined"), a tattoo artist at Saved Tattoo in Brooklyn, told _Motto_ that she decided to work twice as hard to shake off any ideas that she might be less skilled than her male colleagues. “I think if you speak to every woman, they’re going to have a different story for how being a woman in this industry has shaped them,” Tamez said. “I think people really realize that you don’t have to be a big dude to give a great tattoo… A lot of artists are getting involved and it’s really changing the dynamic.” And Koala added that she anticipates that the industry will continue to get better for women as more women seek out feminist tattoos and more self-proclaimed feminists get into the business of body art. “I see a lot of amazing women artists out there and I’m just really excited to see them thrive. I think it’s really important that younger women know this is something that they can get into and there are so many incredible role models out there for women now,” she said. “I think we’re really living in an amazing time.” Tamez agreed and noted that the new wave of feminist body art fit perfectly with the traditions of her craft. “They’re standing up for themselves and what they believe and deserve. I’ve loved seeing people being courageous and being committed to something.” Tamez said. “Tattooing is about being committed to something — that’s what makes it cool.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4764723/post-election-feminist-tattoos-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4764723/post-election-feminist-tattoos-history/"},"headline":"The Feminist History of Women and Tattoos","datePublished":"2017-05-05T16:28:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:05:33.005Z","description":"It’s not just a post-election trend","url":"https://time.com/4764723/post-election-feminist-tattoos-history/","keywords":["motto","feminism","Election","tattoos"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt211cde53cc83f6ed/6988cc2e8e060156e646a407/woman-tattoo-artist-nevertheless-persisted.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Samantha Cooney","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/samantha-cooney/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt211cde53cc83f6ed/6988cc2e8e060156e646a407/woman-tattoo-artist-nevertheless-persisted.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"woman-tattoo-artist-nevertheless-persisted","caption":"woman-tattoo-artist-nevertheless-persisted","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4764723/post-election-feminist-tattoos-history/","name":"The Feminist History of Women and Tattoos"}}]}] ```