Philomena Kwao

“War and armed conflict disproportionately affect women and can turn what is supposed to be a joyous and beautiful experience - childbirth - into a horrific or even fatal one.”

“Women need to be empowered to shape their own livelihoods and become CEOs of their own lives. They must be allowed to take control of important life decisions that are so often decided by others.”

“Everyone needs to realize the responsibility they hold and realize where they can make a difference.”

“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.”

“For me, diverse beauty is an affirmation of every single person in his or her own skin.”

“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.”

“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.”

“When I finally discovered the 'Sports Illustrated' swimsuit issue, I browsed through archives and saw a picture of an incredibly stunning model, Damaris Lewis. Her images inspired me, and I imagined being in the magazine myself. Never in a million years did I dream it would actually happen.”

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

“It's refreshing when plus-size styling is exciting and pushes boundaries rather than safe and boring.”

“Magazines don't go far enough to be inclusive and have at least have one model representing every major skin tone.”

“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.”

“One misconception I think is wrong is that being a larger size means, somehow, that you're neglecting your body, or you don't look after yourself, or you don't love yourself enough to lose weight. We've been saturated with the idea that to be happy you must be thin, or to be healthy you must be thin.”

“We are all beautiful.”