Feminism may have emerged as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year but Priyanka Chopra believes most people still don’t understand what feminism actually is. The 35-year-old actress, who is a Unicef goodwill ambassador, said overuse of the words “feminism and empowerment” has belittled their essence.

“There is movement but it is very nominal. 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.

The actress, who successfully crossed over to world of American showbiz, said feminism is “not about superiority but equality”. “I believe a lot of people still don’t understand the actual meaning of feminism.”

Feminism, she said, is about women getting opportunities that men have always enjoyed. Empowerment, she added, is about giving people the freedom to take stands for themselves. “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. But we are still judged for being ambitious.”