Many people think of feminism as a bad word. A word that is associated with man-hating and a desire to move from patriarchy to matriarchy, but it’s neither of these things. Instead, feminism is about equality, about bridging the gap between men and women.

Many powerful women have shared their opinions on what it means to be a feminist. But more than that, on why they want to raise their children, both daughters, and sons to be compassionate and free-thinking individuals who are aware of the injustices that exist even in modern society. These celebrity moms may be different in their approach to parenting, but the one thing that connects them is their desire to protect their children from outdated cultural norms, and their hopes for a better, more inclusive future.

Jessica Alba has a strong mindset which she wants to pass on to her daughters, and Beyoncé has spoken about how if a man can do something, a woman should be able to do the same. Below are celebrity moms who want their children to grow up knowing that they deserve a position in power, that they have voices, and that gender equality is something worth fighting for.

22 Kerry Washington Wants Her Daughter To Grow Up With A Voice

Kerry Washington has been outspoken about women’s rights, and the changes she wants to see in the world (which is not surprising because she is raising a daughter).

At the Women's March in Los Angeles, she addressed how women's opinions often don't matter.

She said (via Romper), people should remember they do matter, even if they feel they are made to think they don't for reasons that include being a woman, a person of color, an immigrant, someone from the LGBTQ community. Or because they are young or old.

21 Jessica Alba Wants Her Daughters To Know They Can Dream Big

Jessica Alba is passionate about women’s rights, and this is something she was fortunate to learn about when she was growing up.

According to Parents, in an interview with Cosmopolitan, Alba said, "I was raised by a strong woman and was taught from a young age that all women deserve a seat at the table. I am thankful that my mom and dad instilled that in me and empowered me very early on. I've carried that sentiment throughout my life so it's absolutely a value I have consciously passed on to my girls. They can dream as big as they want—with hard work and the right choices, anything is possible."

20 Drew Barrymore Wants Girls To Look Forward To A Better Future

Although there is still much to be achieved with regards to women’s rights, women have come a long way. Drew Barrymore acknowledged this, telling Parents, “My daughter went to the Women's March with her dad, and we all have an immediate response to the lyric, "Who run the world?" They yell, "Girls!" I think we're living in a really difficult time in the world, but a very strong and exciting time for young girls.”

Barrymore went on to acknowledge that at this time, she feels “there's an overarching, positive, strong message that girls can do anything, and there's a superhero-vibe going on that we just have to take and run with and never look back...”

19 Beyoncé Is Teaching Her Daughter She’s A Man’s Equal

Beyoncé has used her music time and again to share a strong feminist message, and she has used the word “feminism” in interviews, as well as on her world tour. She’s a feminist, and she wants others to understand the importance of this word and what it stands for.

In an interview with Elle, Beyoncé said, “We’re not all just one thing. Everyone who believes in equal rights for men and women doesn’t speak the same, or dress the same, or think the same. If a man can do it, a woman should be able to. It’s that simple. If your son can do it, your daughter should be able to.”

18 Jane Fonda Thinks It’s Time Women Realize They Don’t Have To Be ‘Perfect’

Women, including those in Hollywood, often feel a pressure to look and act a certain way, and for Jane Fonda, achieving that level of perceived perfection had a negative impact on her life.

In an essay, she revealed she often sought validation from men and “needed to heal the wounds patriarchy had dealt me."

She continued, "I worry that the word patriarchy makes people's eyes glaze over with the assumption that it means 'Men are bad, and we need to change to a matriarchy. But this is not about replacing one '-archy' with another, it's about transforming social and cultural norms and institutions…” For Fonda, feminism is not about “moving from patriarchy to matriarchy, but from patriarchy to democracy.”

17 Blake Lively is Teaching Her Daughters They Can Do Everything, By Not Questioning Whether They Can

When you tell your daughters they can do anything and everything a man can do, does this make them question themselves? Blake Lively touched on these thoughts in an interview with Glamour and revealed that she learned a valuable lesson from Sarah Silverman. That lesson is “Stop telling little girls that they can do anything. They already believe they can do anything. It opens the door for questions….”

She continued, “We’re all born feeling perfect until somebody tells us we’re not. So there’s nothing I can teach my daughter [James]. She already has all of it. The only thing I can do is protect what she already feels.”

16 Madonna Is Calling Out Society’s Treatment Of Women In The Hopes Of Change

Madonna is a mother to six children, some biological, some adopted, some boys and others girls. But in addition to being a dedicated mother, she’s also a woman who has had to deal with double standards and ageism.

In Hollywood, many women struggle to find roles past a certain age, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Madonna spoke about this. She said,

“‘Relevance’ is a catchphrase that people throw out because we live in a world full of discrimination. Age is only brought up with regard to women. It’s connected to sexism, chauvinism, and misogyny.”

15 Natalie Portman Wants Her Daughter To Grow Up In A World Free Of Judgement

Mom of two, Natalie Portman, know that women face judgment, as do men, and it seems that there are some things society feels men and women can and cannot do. Portman wants to change this, most probably so that when her own daughter grows up, society is free of judgment.

Speaking of feminism for Elle UK (via Huffington Post), she said,

"I want women and men to be able to be full-time parents or full-time working people or any combination of the two.”

She continued, “I want them to be allowed to be weak and strong and happy and sad — human, basically.”

14 Rebecca Minkoff Wants To Ensure Her Children Are Independent Thinkers

Fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff should be celebrated for more than her world-class garments because she’s a mother who is dedicated to raising children who are compassionate and independent thinkers.

According to InStyle, she said, "I think now more than ever it's important to teach your children compassion for others and to instill in them the awareness of how their actions can impact others. As a mother of a boy and a girl, my goal is to raise them to be independent thinkers and strong leaders with open minds."

13 Jamie Greenberg Wants To Protect Her Daughter From The Notion She’s Not Good Enough

Jamie Greenberg is a makeup artist to the stars, having done makeup for big names like Kaley Cuoco, Rashida Jones, Kristen Stewart, and Chelsea Handler. She is also a mom, who wants a better world for her daughter.

Greenberg has an idea on how to live better, and shared her feminist parenting views with InStyle, saying,

"I constantly tell my daughter she can do anything she wants in this world and to always lead with love. Even when people are mean, try to feel for them."

12 Nicole Kidman’s Girls Shouldn’t Have A Disadvantage Because Of Their Gender

Nicole Kidman shares two adopted children with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, and has two younger children with Keith Urban, but aside from being a mom, she is also a feminist. Equal rights and opportunities are things she has wanted, and believed were possible, from a young age because of her own upbringing.

She penned her thoughts about feminism for Net-a-Porter's Porter Magazine (via SMH), writing, "The idea that women and men are equal is apart of my DNA. 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."

11 Olivia Wilde Feels It’s A Parents Responsibility To Create A More Balanced, Fair Society

In addition to being a talented and funny actress, Olivia Wilde is also a mother to two children, a boy, and a girl. She understands the importance of raising children who are well-balanced,  who also view each other as equals, and she spoke about this in an interview with People.

She said, “Little kids are still being told men are the powerful, strong ones and women are the weaker, more vulnerable ones. When I witness that in my kids, I realize how much of a responsibility it is for parents and caretakers to show them every example you can think of a more balanced, fair society.”

10 Christina Aguilera Says The Time When Men Ran The World Is Over

Christina Aguilera is a mother to two children, a son, Max, whom she shares with ex-husband Jordan Bratman, and a little girl, Summer, whom she shares with fiancé Matthew Rutler.

Something important we learned about Aguilera is she is raising both her children to be feminists, and she revealed as much during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

She said, “[I’m] trying to be an example and speaking up about it. Men have run the world for a while and this is the reason we don’t have another female coach because the odds are always kind of against us.”

9 Sandra Bullock Wants Women To Stop Being Mocked In The Media

Sandra Bullock wants her daughter, Laila, to be empowered and be treated as an equal to men, but she is also raising her son, Louis, to be a good man.

She revealed as much in an interview with E! News, explaining she was trying “to raise a good man who values and appreciates women."

She also spoke about the differences between males and females and the way the media treats them in an interview with Variety. She said, “I keep saying, ‘Why is it that no one is standing up and saying you can’t say that about a woman?’ We’re mocked and judged in the media and articles. Really, how men are described in articles versus women, there’s a big difference.”

8 Lena Dunham’s Mom Raised A Feminist And It’s Had A Powerful Effect

Lena Dunham is not a mother herself, but she was raised by a strong woman. Her mother, Laurie Simmons, is an artist, photographer, and filmmaker, and the feminist views she raised her daughter with have impacted how Dunham is today.

Dunham told Paper magazine she has felt she was a feminist from a young age. "I grew up with a mother who had come of age in the '70s and feminism was a huge part of her formative identity, and so for as long as I can remember words holding power in our household, that was one of the most powerful ones," she explained.

7 Jillian Michaels Wants To Put An End To Gender Stereotypes

The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels shares a daughter and a son with her long-time fiancé Heidi Rhoades (although the pair has recently split).

For Michaels, it’s important to raise children with feminist ideologies, and “lead by example and show my son that women are just as strong, just as smart, just as capable.”

“Sometimes he wants to do the things his sister does,” she told Huffington Post. “He wants to wear our heels if she’s wearing our heels, he wants to have a doll if she wants to have a doll. And we let him. We don’t want him to think, 'Oh no. That’s for girls.' We want him to appreciate that the things that are traditionally 'feminine' are not lesser than, or off limits.”

6 Jennifer Lopez Feels Women Should Express Themselves Without Fear Of Labels

Jennifer Lopez shares twins Maximilian and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and she has spoken out about the difference in the way men and women are viewed by the world.

For women, if they are opinionated about something they are referred to as a “diva,” behavior that men could potentially be congratulated for.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: "I've always been fascinated with how much more well-behaved we have to be than men. I did get a moniker of being a 'diva,' which I never felt I deserved — which I don't deserve. I've always been a hard worker, always on time, always professional.” She added, "I always felt sometimes crippled to voice my opinion."

And here are 5 celeb moms on what they do want their daughters to experience...

5 Patricia Arquette Hopes Her Daughter Gets Equal Wages

Patricia Arquette has been outspoken about the gender pay gap that exists not only in Hollywood, but in most careers, and she has called for equal rights. In her Oscar’s speech in 2015, she made it clear that she wants equal wages for her daughter and all women.

She said (via The Hollywood Reporter), “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights, it's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America."

4 Mila Kunis Knows That The Rules Of The Boy’s Club Are Outdated

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have been married since 2015 and are raising two children together, a son and a daughter.

But in addition to being a mother, Kunis has experienced the different treatment that women and men face in the entertainment industry, and she wants to put an end to it.

She used Kutcher’s website, A Plus, to share her opinion, writing, "Throughout my career, there have been moments when I have been insulted, sidelined, paid less, creatively ignored, and otherwise diminished based on my gender…” she went on to reveal that this treatment made her stop playing "by the rules of the boy's club," and lead her to start her own production company.

3 Angelina Jolie Is Passionate About Education For All Women

Angelina Jolie is a humanitarian who dedicates much of her time to helping others, and one of the causes she feels strongly about is the treatment of women. As a woman herself, and someone who has three daughters (and three sons) she has spoken about the importance of women’s rights and education, and the changes she wants for the future.

During a speech for the African Union's meeting (via Marie Claire), she expressed her views, saying, "There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free and educated woman. And there is no more inspiring role model than a man who respects and cherishes women and champions their leadership."