Feminism
may
have
emerged
as
Merriam-Webster's
word
of
the
year
with
women
becoming
more
vocal
about
issues
such
as
sexual
harassment,
but
Priyanka
Chopra
believes
most
people
still
don't
understand
what
feminism
actually
is.
There
is
more
talk
and
less
action
in
the
area
of
gender
equality,
believes
the
35-year-old
star,
who
is
a
UNICEFGoodwill
Ambassador.
The
overuse
of
the
words
'feminism
and
empowerment'
has
belittled
their
essence,
she
said.
"There
is
movement
but
it
is
very
nominal.
We
need
to
work
so
much
more.
In
our
country
and
across
the
globe,
girls
are
treated
as
secondary
citizen.
They
face
violence
and
abuse
everywhere.
And
feminism
is
a
way
to
control
that
situation,
but
it
has
become
a
negative
term," Priyanka
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
For
the
actor,
who
has
successfully
crossed
over
to
the
American
showbiz
world
with
the
television
show
"Quantico" and
made
her
Hollywood
debut
with
"Baywatch",
feminism
is
"not
about
superiority
but
equality".
"I
believe
a
lot
of
people
still
don't
understand
the
actual
meaning
of
feminism.
Feminismand
empowerment
are
two
words
which
people
overuse,
without
even
understanding
the
meaning
properly."
Feminism
for
her,
Priyanka
stressed,
is
about
women
getting
the
opportunities
that
men
have
always
enjoyed.
The
fact
that
women
are
still
"judged" for
being
ambitious
bothers
her,
said
the
actor,
who
has
created
her
own
space
in
the
Indian
and
the
international
entertainment
industry.
Empowerment,
she
added,
is
about
giving
people
the
freedom
to
take
stands
for
themselves.
But
at
times
girls
are
deprived
of
this
freedom.
"People
are
conditioned
in
a
way
that
for
them
the
only
job
a
woman
has
is
to
give
birth
to
babies
or
take
care
of
the
home.
I
am
not
denying
that
this
is
what
makes
women
so
special.
We
have
this
power
to
give
life.
"But
we
are
still
judged
for
being
ambitious.
This
kind
of
conditioning
also
stops
girls
from
dreaming
big.
This
is
a
disheartening
situation," she
said.
Tt
will
take
take
years
for
society
to
treat
women
as
equal
to
men,
but
the
shift
in
the
mindset
of
the
younger
generation
fills
her
with
hope,
she
said.
"There
is
a
long
way
to
go,
but
we
have
also
come
a
really
long
way.
But
now
the
difference
I
see
is
how
empowered
young
India
is.
They
don't
keep
quiet
any
more.
They
would
stand
up
against
injustice.
It
is
so
empowering
to
see.
"India
is
one
of
the
youngest
nations
in
the
world
and
the
younger
generation
is
so
strong.
It
is
really
nice
to
see
them
at
the
forefront
and
raising
their
voice
for
equality,"
she
said.