Jada Pinkett Smith defends parenting skills amidst criticism

Washington: Jada Pinkett Smith has defended herself after being accused of being a very lenient mother.

The 41-year-old actress, who was criticized from parenting groups for allowing her 12-year-old daughter Willow to dye her hair and shave her head as part of a fashion statement, publicly addressed the issue for the first time, asserting that the preteen has the power to do whatever she wishes with her body. “This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination,” Contactmusic quoted Smith as writing on Facebook. “I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are Her domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair,” she said. “It’s also a statement that claims that even little girls have the Right to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother’s deepest insecurities, hopes and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be,” she added. ANI