Sexism within the music industry is a "constant battle" for Little Mix.
The British girl group - comprised of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock - have been together since they were formed on the 2011 series of British reality show The X Factor.
In an interview with Attitude magazine, they admit they experienced sexism during their time on the show, and are still having to fight it now, even though they have established themselves as one of the most successful girl bands working today.
"When we first got together, we were told that girl bands don't work so we weren't actually going to go through (on The X Factor). (Our mentor) Tulisa had to fight and say, 'No, these girls deserve it,'" Leigh-Anne recalled.
"Even now, we still face sexism. Sometimes I think these powerful men in the industry struggle," Jade explained, before Perrie finished her sentence, adding, "When women have a voice. They think that opinion is invalid."
"Seven years on, you'd think we would have earned our right as a group, as artists, to be heard more," Jade continued. "It's a constant battle. It's getting better, but I think there is a lot to be done."
Leigh-Anne then cryptically hinted that they had recently experienced something "crazy" but said they aren't ready to talk about it.
"We feel a bit funny about it, but in due time we'll speak out and raise awareness because it's not right," she added.
The four-piece also said they agreed with British popstar Dua Lipa when she said female stars have work harder to prove themselves and achieve the same recognition as men.
"We're still having to convince some people that we write music and that we're credible artists," Jade said.
