Music icon Shania Twain has declared she does not identify as a feminist, asserting that “vulnerable men need just as much protection as vulnerable women.”
The 60-year-old Canadian singer, widely celebrated for her empowering anthems such as Man! I Feel Like A Woman and That Don’t Impress Me Much, often perceived as a feminist figure.
Despite her lyrics championing women and self-empowerment, Twain revealed to The Times that she finds the label challenging.
“I don’t see myself as a feminist,” she stated. “I see myself as a very independent thinker and not necessarily because I’m a woman.”
She acknowledged, “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.”
Explaining her reluctance to embrace the term, Twain elaborated: “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.”
She extended this perspective to men, adding: “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 superstar later clarified in a letter to the newspaper that the word is “tricky” for her, explaining that “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”.
She concluded, “Even though when I look at the values and morals of what a feminist is, of course I align with them.” The United Nations defines feminism as the “belief that everyone, regardless of gender, should have equal rights and opportunities.”
Twain is currently supporting pop sensation Harry Styles on his ‘Love On Tour’, including a record-breaking residency at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The five-time Grammy winner boasts nine UK top 10 singles, including You’re Still The One, and three number one albums. In 2024, she captivated audiences in the coveted Sunday afternoon legends slot at Glastonbury festival.