“The idea that women and men are equal is a part of my DNA,” writes Nicole Kidman in the new issue of Net-a-Porter’s Porter Magazine. In an open letter addressed to her “3.5 billion strong and beautiful sisters,” the Oscar winner explains, “I was raised by a strong feminist mother and fully supportive father, so it never occurred to me to that I should be at a disadvantage because I was born a girl.” But she soon realized she was living in what she describes as an “unequal world.”
According to The Sydney Morning Harold, the Australian actress also emphasizes that she prides herself on portraying “strong, independent women that went against the expectations of society,” and it’s been her “driving force to make it in an industry that is still largely run by men.”
“My feminist roots have also led me to UN Women and my work as its Goodwill Ambassador,” Kidman says. “It is in this role that I come to fully understand the barriers that women around the world are facing. I have focused on lending my voice to women who are survivors of violence. The stories I have heard from them have shaken me to the core and changed me forever.”
Kidman also offers some great advice for women facing adversity. “Each of us, in ways big or small, will come across challenges, often arising out of the fact that we are women,” she observes. “It has happened to me; I am sure it has to you. In those moments, I like to think of those who had my back, who lifted me up and encouraged me to believe in myself.”
The past few years have seen countless women in Hollywood speaking out against sexism in the industry and the wider world. It’s always worth pausing to appreciate the fact that women are clearly feeling more emboldened to use their platforms to address gender inequality and feminism, which remain controversial and unpopular topics among many in — to use Kidman’s words — our unequal world.
Kidman just signed on to star in Karyn Kusama’s next film, “Destroyer,” an LA-based crime thriller. She recently won Emmys for acting in and producing HBO’s murder mystery “Big Little Lies,” which saw her playing a lawyer turned stay-at-home mom in an abusive relationship with her husband. The “Moulin Rouge!” star took home an Oscar in 2003 for “The Hours.” “Top of the Lake,” “The Beguiled,” and “Lion” are among her recent credits.
