The world needs more wicked women: Angelina Jolie

ANGELINA JOLIE IS clear about what she means by ‘wicked women’ in a recently penned essay.

“What is it about the power of a woman free in mind and body that has been perceived as so dangerous throughout history?” the actress questioned as she penned an essay for Elle’s September issue. “Like the ultimate conspiracy theory, anything you couldn’t explain - from a crop failing to a child falling ill - could be put down to the influence of a supposedly wicked woman... Women could be accused of witchcraft for speaking their mind on politics or religion, or for dressing differently. Had I lived in earlier times, I could have been burnt at the stake many times over,” wrote Jolie.

In the article, she continued: “Since time immemorial, women who rebel against what is considered normal by society have been labelled as unnatural, weird, wicked, and dangerous. What is surprising is the extent to which this kind of myth and prejudice has persisted throughout the centuries and still colours the world we live in.

“Bring together a group of strong women, and before too long someone will brand them a ‘coven’.”

The actress feels the “independence and creative energy of women” is still frequently seen as a “dangerous force to be controlled.”

“Wicked women are just women who are tired of injustice and abuse. Women who won’t give up on their voice and rights, even at the risk of death or imprisonment or rejection by their families and communities. If that is wickedness, then the world needs more wicked women,” she wrote.