Penelope Cruz thinks society "tricks" women.
Penelope Cruz
The Oscar-winning actress - who has kids Leo, seven, and Luna, five, with fellow Hollywood star Javier Bardem - has hit out at what she perceives to be unrealistic expectations placed on women.
She explained: "There are so many taboos related to women.
"You realise when you go through the whole process [of becoming a parent] that society tricks women a lot - and men too."
Penelope stressed that women - regardless of whether they have children or not - are already like real-life superheroes.
The 44-year-old actress told Marie Claire magazine: "This image society gives you - that you have to be a super-woman, that you need to be out of hospital in 24 hours, wearing high heels. No, you already are a superwoman!
"We're all superwomen - those of us who have children and those of us who don't."
Penelope previously claimed that becoming a mother has transformed her outlook on life.
The brunette beauty explained that having children has helped her to develop a new perspective, meaning she's now able to respond to minor concerns in a more philosophical way.
Speaking in 2017, she shared: "I used to be so afraid about what people were going to think of me, if I was going to be accepted, if I was going to be loved.
"I put a lot of energy into the perception of myself. When I became a mother - almost seven years ago - something very deep changed in me, where I really don't care about a lot of the stuff I used to care about before.
"That's part of growing up, and now I have to go through other tests that life will put in front of me. I have new fears now."
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