Shanina Shaik turns heads in black mini dress at Virgin Australia's AFL Grand Final party

SHANINA Shaik has opened up about social media pressure, saying women should not allow it to ‘dictate what they are’.

The Victoria’s Secret model, 27, attended the Virgin Australia AFL Grand Final party in Melbourne tonight, as a passionate Collingwood supporter, ahead of her team’s clash against the West Coast Eagles on Saturday.

Dressed in an Ellery mini-dress, a blazer worn over her shoulders, and a pair of strappy black heels, Melbourne-raised Shaik, 27, attended the VVVIP party with her husband, DJ Ruckus (aka Gregory Andrews).

Shaik, who was recently cast in this year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show, is using her Instagram platform — and 1.3 million followers — to project a message of female empowerment.

“It’s important that everyone embraces being themselves, and not looking at Instagram and letting it dictate what they are, and what they should be,” Shaik said, speaking to News Corp Australia at a Melbourne hotel today.

“Having my background being Arabic, I have a lot of young women who don’t think they could do certain jobs because there’s not much equality for women in certain countries,” Shaik said.

“I think it’s important for me to really show them that they have to believe in themselves, and stand up for their rights.”

Being cast in her fifth Victoria’s Secret runway show was the “most exciting feeling”, Shaik said.

“I didn’t expect that I would be doing the casting this year, in all honest truth,” she said.

“I felt good about myself and I think that’s an amazing career shift for me, I was confident within myself and I was … happy whatever the result.

“I worked hard for it.”

Shaik has taken on a new role this year in E! doco series, Model Squad, alongside her model friends including Nadine Leopold and Devon Windsor.

“It’s about young women creating a brand and longevity in their career, and tyring to battle normality in their life as well,” Shaik said.

“You get to see behind the scenes what we do in our jobs. I’m hoping for a second season … you’ll see more of that and the depth of how we get the job.”

She is expanding her ambitions to acting, eyeing parts that defy stereotypes.

“I think people judge, especially being a model, and put us in a spot where they think, ‘she’s just a pretty face … she’ll get the sexy roles,’” Shaik said.

“But there’s more to me than being a pretty face and I would like to show that.”

Shaik said family time was a top priority during her whirlwind trip to Melbourne with husband, Andrews, who she married in a lavish ceremony in the Bahamas on April 28.

“I don’t come home as often as I would like but when I do, I just love being (here),” Shaik said.

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