Jane Fonda is marking International Women’s Day with a special interview.
The 83-year-old actress and activist spoke to Jameela Jamil for jewellery company Pomellato.
“I know how profoundly a human being can change because I have.”
She then discussed the scars left from past traumas: “I think it’s important to understand why they’re there, how you got the wounds, look at them square in the eyes, and then trying to forgive the cause of the wounds. That’s the most important thing.”
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The star spoke about the jewellery she was wearing during the interview, saying how the two beautiful black stones had been broken and then joined together with gold.
Fonda shared, “You know what it reminds me of? When you lift weights enough and they’re heavy enough so that they’re challenging you… you’re causing microscopic tears in your muscles.
“When they heal, they’re stronger than muscle was before it tore. That’s what [the jewellery] is.”
Fonda, who has been running her Fire Drill Fridays protests to raise awareness of the climate change crisis, said the importance of activism: “People need meaning in their lives, I had no meaning in my life. Activism is joyful, it means the world to me, that’s how it’s changed my life.”
She said of women, “We’re much, much less vulnerable to the disease of individualism than men are. We’re more responsible for the survival of our species, we do more work protecting… not just our little family, but the community, the town, the cities, the nation.”
When asked whether she considered herself an “optimist,” Fonda told Jamil: “I’m hopeful, I am. I like the word ‘hope’ better than ‘optimism’, ‘hope’ is a profound word.
“Women are in leadership positions and will make the difference. We are the fastest-growing demographic; there’s more women than men.
“We are leaders all over the world. As Gloria Steinem says, ‘It’s not that we’re morally better than men, we just don’t have our masculinity to prove.’
“Women need to understand the power of us getting together and getting organized. Individually, we’re totally vulnerable, but when we are together and organized, that’s how we’re gonna change the world… and it’s really up to us.”
