Jessica Alba Believes ‘Feminism Means Equality’

Jessica Alba was recently named one of Forbes‘ America’s Richest Self-Made Women thanks to her startup, Honest Company. Alba spoke at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston earlier this week, where she discussed her own definition of feminism and why businesses need to focus on diversity.

At the conference, Alba thanked her mom and grandmother for helping instill her meaning of feminism. While being interviewed by Forbes staff writer Claire O’Connor, Alba said, “Feminism means equality and I did feel like women should deserve the same things as men at a very early age.”

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Alba takes that mentality to heart, especially in the workplace. As the face of a multi-billion dollar company, Alba advocates for equality in the workplace, in terms of both gender and diversity. She told the Boston crowd, “I do think that as we look at the world and as you guys are building these companies, really understanding how important it is to include the other half of the world.” She continued, “Make sure your businesses reflect the world in a real way. If you can somehow measure your success with diversity, then I think that would be pretty cool and innovative.”

As a parent herself, Alba understands why parental leave and benefits are vital to the strength of a company. She told the crowd why business leaders need to pay more attention to parents: “When you own a business, really make sure that you are addressing a modern person. Whether it’s a man or a woman, when you do have a kid, make sure you have benefits that allow someone to be a good parent that feel like they can nurture their children and also come to work and execute.”

[Forbes]