French Women Are Sharing Photos of Their Body Hair For an Empowering Reason

It's a fact of life: everyone has body hair, whether it's sparse or swarthy. Sadly, many women know what it's like to be shamed for this natural feature and often resort to uncomfortable methods of removal. One French woman, however, is fighting back against the haters.

Sixteen-year-old Adele Labo of Lille, France, started the hashtag #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils ("Princesses have hair") after she was mocked at school for refusing to shave. "I think society stigmatises women, there is massive social pressure over body hair," she told The Guardian. Adele has posted many pictures of her own body hair on her Tumblr and website, declaring "my body, my choice," and invited other women to do the same on social media. She even made a video celebrating her fuzz.

Women have come out in droves to support Adele, sharing their own images of grown-out armpit and leg hair. In fact, #LesPrincessesOntDesPoils became a trending hashtag in France and Belgium, boasting tens of thousands of tweets. You don't need to speak or read French to feel empowered by this movement. See Adele's video then some posts celebrating the hashtag when you read on.