“So many girls out there say, ‘I’m not a feminist’ because they think it means something angry or disgruntled or complaining or they picture like rioting or picketing and it is not that at all,”.

The 24-year-old “Shake It Off” singer explained during an appearance on French Canadian television show Tout le Monde en Parle on Sunday night. 

“It just simply means that you believe that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities. 

And to say that you’re not a feminist means that you think men should have more rights and opportunities than women.” 

Last month, the Grammy-winning recording artist credited BFF Lena Dunham with helping educate her on the importance of gender equality, admitting that she had a false perception of feminism and had in fact been “taking a feminist stance without actually saying so.” 

She reiterated those same sentiments while speaking with host Guy A. Lepage, touching on topics ranging from the portrayal of women in the media to Emma Watson’s powerful speech at the United Nations.

“I think when it comes to females in the media, you’ll see something that kind of upsets me, which is that females are pinned up against each other, more so than men,” she said in front of a small studio audience in Montreal. “For example you never see online, ‘Vote for who has the better butt! This actor or this actor!’ It’s always this female singer and this female singer and you get to vote. It’s daily I see these things and these polls…I think that one thing I do believe as a feminist is that in order for us to have gender equality we have to stop making it a girl fight, and we have to stop being so interested in seeing girls trying to tear each other down. It has to be more about cheering each other on, as women.”

Asked about Emma Watson’s emotional and powerful speech which help launched the HeForShe gender equality campaign, Swift dismissed any negativity. “The only thing that I saw was incredible acclaim and praise, and that’s just me going off of what I’m plugged into, which is my fan base of real girls out in the world living their lives.

“I wish when I was 12 years old, I had been able to watch a video of my favorite actress explaining in such an intellectual, beautiful poignant way the definition of feminism,” she continued. “Because I would have understood it and then earlier on in my life I would have proudly claimed that I was a feminist.” 

She then proceeded to explain the definition of feminism before singing Watson’s praises once again, “I just think that a lot of girls don’t know the definition and the fact that Emma got up and explained it is an incredible thing and I’m happy to live in a world where that happened.” 

As for her thoughts on Miley Cyrus? Swift candidly shared: “Honestly, I think that I cheer on anybody who is living their life on their own terms and wearing what they want to wear and representing what they want to represent. I think that no other female artist should be able to tell me to wear less clothes and I’m not gonna tell any other female artist to wear more clothes. You know what I’m saying? As long as it’s their idea, and they’re expressing their sexuality or they’re expressing their strength or it makes them feel like a woman to perform a certain way or dress a certain way. I just think that as long as it’s coming from them and they’re living their life on their own terms, I cheer them on.”

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