Women were not as extensively tattooed as the men in Maori culture. There are some historical reports of women with full-face Ta Moko but such instances are rare.

Women would often have their lips tattooed so they were a deep blue color. The nostrils were also sometimes inked, but more common was the chin Moko. 

As with the men, Ta Moko for women communicated many things about their family, tribal affiliation, rank, and more. However, female tattoos were created more for the purpose of attracting male attention. Getting married was considered the ultimate goal for Maori girls, and so their tattoos served as advertisements for the men of the village, showing their lineage, their rank and status off to show potential suitors what they would gain through matrimony. The blue lips were considered a mark of ultimate female beauty in Maori society, another way they sought to attract the opposite sex. Without Ta Moko, a woman was undesirable as a mate, since a lack of tattoos meant she was of low social status, and marriage would bring no benefits for advancement and status in society.