Kerry Washington Pays Tribute To Women Working To Make The 'World A Better Place'

Kerry Washington has made quite the name for herself since her widespread recognition for starring as ‘Olivia Pope’ in the ABC series “Scandal.”

Washington is a proud mother of two; daughter, 7-year-old Isabel, and son, 5-year-old Caleb. Not only does she pride herself as a mother, but she also takes pride in being an activist to make the world better.

Her patriotic acts have not gone unnoticed as she was recently celebrated at the TIME Women of the Year gala, which was held on International Women’s Day.

The American actress talked to ET’s Nischelle Turner regarding her accolade and its significance to her as a “girl mom.”

Washington said it was dreamlike, and she was excited to be honored with women she viewed as heroes for their remarkable work.  

She continued, “There’s so much work to do to make this world a better place, so it’s really thrilling to be able to celebrate some women who are working towards that.”

Being a “girl mom” made her view the works of the celebrated women differently as she revealed to the news outlet that it compels her to strive for her kids.

Her precise words were, “I do think being a ‘girl mom’ makes you think about these issues in a different way. They just make me want to do more and better and be there for them.” 

The honored activist previously celebrated black women as she shared a couple of photos last month to acknowledge Black history. She further revealed her plan to share more to celebrate Women’s History Month in March.

Black History Month is a significant period to the star, and she wanted to find a fun way to celebrate important women who have transformed the history of the world at large.

Washington said of the shared photos, “We wanted to put the focus on Black women by making it ‘herstory,’ but also, we continued in March ‘cause it’s still Women’s History Month and also, Black history for me, is 365 days a year.” 

Her current project is Netflix’s “The School for Good and Evil,” an upcoming movie based on Soman Chainani’s fantasy fairytale book.

She will be playing as ‘Dovey,’ the dean of the school for 'good,' while her co-star Charlize Theron will star as the dean of the school for 'bad.'

Washington described the roles as stereotypical, but she had fun working with Theron and spending time with the fellow actress.

Among other projects she has previously taken on includes her political activism in 2016, following the election. The New York native used her influence to elevate women and downgraded individuals.

According to TIME, some of the other women who have been honored with the Women of the Year award include Jennie Joseph, Tracy Chou, Zahra Joya, Maria Ressa, Amal Clooney, and Kacey Musgraves.

Washington has starred in numerous productions, and she relives the memory of every character she played by keeping the custom-designed jewelry pieces as souvenirs.

As The Blast previously reported, she revealed to PEOPLE her love for jewelry and the pieces she has saved from several productions.

When she starred in “American Son,” a custom necklace with ‘J’ representing her son’s initials was designed for her role as a mother. She kept the piece and also saved some earrings from her role as the revered ‘Olivia Pope’ in “Scandal.” 

According to the ABC star, jewelry is most important to a character, and she thought a lot about them when preparing for roles.

Her love for jewelry inspired her business investment in Aurate, a female-owned jewelry brand. She partnered with the brand to launch “AURATE x KERRY Be the Lead Collection.”

The collection was created ahead of the holiday season late last year, and it featured practical earrings, rings, and necklaces inspired by Art Deco and Old Hollywood.

The 45-year-old’s goal was to introduce glam into women’s lives as they emerged from the difficult pandemic months, so they would also feel like themselves again.

The versatile, classy jewelry pieces were styled from ‘20s designs, particularly Josephine Baker’s, who she called “the original hyphenate.” 

Washington further said of her creation, “We were really gravitating toward the return to the party, celebration, and glamor that happened a century ago.”