Sarah Jessica Parker explains why she is not a feminist: 'It's not just about women now'

Sarah Jessica Parker is a hugely successful actress who believes in equal pay and providing childcare for working mothers in order to allow them to develop their career.

But despite these arguably feminist beliefs, the Sex and the City actress insists she is not a feminist, instead identifying herself as a humanist, because "it's not just women anymore".

Parker explained her position to Cosmopolitan, saying: “As Wendy Wasserstein would say, I'm a humanist. I'm enormously appreciative of the work that my mother's generation did. We are the beneficiaries of a lot of disappointment, heartache, discouragement, and misunderstanding.

“But I see a lot of people trying to sort out their roles. People of colour, gays, lesbians, and transgenders who are carving out this space. I'm not spitting in the face or being lazy about what still needs to be done — but I don't think it's just women anymore. We would be so enormously powerful if it were a humanist movement."

She joins a number of high profile women who have distanced themselves from the term 'feminist', including Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Madonna and Demi Moore.

However, a number of high profile figures have criticised those who refuse to identify as a feminist, including Mark Ruffalo, who recently said those who disregard the equal-rights movement undermine campaigners who fought to achieve progression in society that allows women to work, vote, and a number of other rights.

Emma Watson's landmark HeforShe campaign has also helped keep gender equality at the top of the agenda. When asked why some women distance themselves from the word, she said people often wrongly associate feminism with hating men.

"I don’t think that’s what feminism is about at all," she added. "It’s really positive. I think that’s why women became reluctant to use the word."

In the same interview, Parker took a moment to address the headpiece that spawned thousands of memes, including a particularly memorable one of her "cooking Rihanna like an egg".

Her hat may have resembled flames to almost everyone with access to the internet, but she wasn't convinced, insisting: "I never saw the headpiece as flames, I never saw it!"