In a powerful new essay for Elle magazine, mom of six and actress Angelina Jolie shares the advice she gives her kids on women’s rights.
Jolie, star of the upcoming Maleficent 2, has travelled the globe advocating for women’s rights, which she discusses in the essay. “In my work, I travel often to countries where I know that if I were a citizen there, my beliefs and actions as a woman could land me in jail or expose me to physical danger,” the 44-year-old actress wrote. “Female human rights defenders across the world are incarcerated for their political views or for defending themselves or others, with courage I can hardly imagine.”
As a mom Jolie feels it’s important to pass on the knowledge she’s gained to her own kids. “I often tell my daughters that the most important thing they can do is to develop their minds,” Jolie wrote. “You can always put on a pretty dress, but it doesn’t matter what you wear on the outside if your mind isn’t strong. There is nothing more attractive—you might even say enchanting—than a woman with an independent will and her own opinions.”
Her daughters aren’t the only ones learning the importance of women’s rights, however. The actress also recognizes the need to give her sons the same lesson in respecting others. “I could not be prouder of my sons for the men they are becoming, the way they respect their sisters and are respected by them,” she said.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: ElleUSA via Instagram
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