Singer Shania Twain has claimed she is not a feminist, saying: “Vulnerable men need just as much protection as vulnerable women.”
The singer, 60, has often been seen as a feminist figure for her bold and unapologetic anthems including Man! I Feel Like A Woman and That Don’t Impress Me Much.
Championing women and self-empowerment through many of her lyrics, the Canadian singer has opened up about how despite this and aligning with feminist values, she finds the label challenging.
Speaking to The Times, she said: “I don’t see myself as a feminist.
“I see myself as a very independent thinker and not necessarily because I’m a woman.
“I am referred to as a feminist. I think I have a lot of feminist points of view because I am so defensive of the vulnerable woman, I really am.”
When asked why she finds the label difficult to use she added: “I just feel that I’m strong as a person. It’s like saying, ‘You look great for your age’.
“I’m not strong for a woman. I’m not independent for a woman. I’m not self-sufficient for a woman. I just am a woman.”
“And this falls on boys too.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, the boy needs less protection than the girl because he’s a boy’. That is so not true and it’s not fair. Vulnerable men need just as much protection as vulnerable women.”
The country pop singer later wrote to the newspaper and explained that the word is “tricky” for her to use as “growing up for so many years the word had so much negativity and confusion around it that I didn’t personally proclaim myself as a feminist”.
“Even though when I look at the values and morals of what a feminist is, of course I align with them,” she added.
According to the United Nations, feminism is the “belief that everyone, regardless of gender, should have equal rights and opportunities.”
Twain is currently opening for pop star and feminist Harry Styles during his Together Together world tour – including his record-breaking residency at Wembley stadium in London.
The five-time Grammy-winning Twain has had nine UK top 10 singles including You’re Still The One, From This Moment On and Don’t Be Stupid.
She has also had three number one albums including 1998’s Come On Over, 2017’s Now, and 2023’s Queen Of Me.
In 2024 she performed in the coveted Sunday afternoon legends slot at Glastonbury festival.
