Although Angelina Jolie is widely recognized for her acting career, her notable contributions to the community cannot be overlooked. In particular, she is an exceptional mother who practices scientific parenting methods.
Born in 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA, Angelina Jolie was raised in an artistic household with parents who were both actors – Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertand. She attended Beverly Hills High School and later enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. However, at the age of 14, she decided to pursue a career in the fashion industry instead of acting since she did not have a strong passion for it. She made her way to London and New York to establish her career.
Despite dropping out of acting school, Angelina Jolie’s natural charm for acting could not be denied. She was only 18 years old when she landed her first lead role in the movie “Cyborg 2” (1993), but unfortunately, it failed to perform well at the box office and left Jolie feeling disappointed and questioning her acting abilities. As a result, she declined offers for future film roles.
However, luck was on her side two years later when she was given the lead role in the movie “Hackers”. The film became a massive success and instantly made Angelina Jolie a household name in the entertainment industry. In 2001, her role in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” officially promoted her to an A-list star, leading to a string of international awards and a lucrative acting career.
Aside from her impressive acting career, Angelina Jolie is also a well-respected social activist and a devoted mother with a scientific approach to raising her children. She has been involved in various campaigns aimed at helping disadvantaged communities and promoting awareness about global issues.
Back in 2006, during her time with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie co-founded the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation with a focus on supporting humanitarian causes such as eliminating poverty in rural Cambodia. The couple launched the foundation by contributing $1 million towards Doctors Without Borders, an organization that provides aid to victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts in over 60 countries. Angelina’s aim is to encourage society to lend a helping hand to those who are vulnerable. In August 2001, Angelina was appointed as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, which has since become a crucial part of her weekly schedule. She spends time traveling to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, among other places, to assist famine-stricken areas, refugee camps, and women and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. According to National Geographic, she states that her travels have uncovered so much that she hadn’t known before and was shocked by the “disparity between rich and poor and the imbalance of resources in the world.”
Back in 2012, Angelina’s unwavering dedication towards helping marginalized groups earned her a notable appointment as the Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. As she candidly revealed to Vogue in 2020, her current role involves tirelessly advocating for refugees to have a voice and to be safeguarded against coercion, all while striving to secure better educational opportunities for them.
With her generosity and compassion, Angelina made it possible to build an all-girls school in Tangi, Afghanistan in March 2010, after discovering that the girls there were deprived of access to quality education. The school, which could accommodate up to 800 female students at the time of its inauguration, was fully funded by her.
Angelina’s extensive experience in the media and cinema industry has equipped her with the skills to create a significant global impact. Her Instagram account, which she set up not long ago, gained a massive following in record time, highlighting her ability to leverage her resources to reach a broader audience.
Angelina has also used her platform to raise awareness about the plight of refugees from Afghanistan, particularly through her involvement in the production of films that shed light on the horrors of war. Moreover, she has been vocal in speaking out against sexual assault and gender discrimination, further demonstrating her commitment to promoting social justice.
Angelina Jolie is a well-known feminist activist who has dedicated the past 6 years of her life to working with humanitarian organizations to spread awareness about the issue of sℯxual violence across the globe. She co-chaired the Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict in 2014 and has been actively involved in raising awareness ever since.
Recent research conducted by the Coalition to End Violence Against Women suggests that attitudes towards sℯxual violence can have a significant impact on the outcome of rape trials. Shockingly, a third of Britons believe that if a woman does not experience any physical trauma during a forced sℯxual encounter, it cannot be considered rape. This mentality creates a sense of impunity for rapists and undermines justice for victims.
Angelina Jolie empathizes with the struggles of individuals who have gone through sℯxual trauma and is keen on creating a comprehensive support system for victims. She participates in prevention campaigns, encourages victims to speak up and report crimes, and strives to address budget shortfalls in psychological and financial support programs for victims looking to rebuild their lives.
Joline is advocating for the support of war victims and children born from sℯxual violence. She highlights that those who have experienced such trauma are often stigmatized and denied justice, while the attackers go unpunished. In her conversation with Marie Claire, Joline emphasizes that both men and women need to work together to combat gender-based violence and break the taboos surrounding sℯxual violence. To this end, she promoted the “Time To Act” initiative in 2017 to hold sℯx offenders accountable for war crimes.
Aside from her advocacy work, Joline also inspires and encourages other women by openly discussing her battle with cancer. In 2013, she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer due to her high hereditary risk. Through her journey, she hopes to spread awareness about the importance of taking care of one’s health and getting timely treatment, which could ultimately lower medical costs and improve public health.
A recent study published in the renowned cancer journal CANCER discussed the social impact of Angelina Jolie. The research revealed that 20.5% of participants acknowledged that the media coverage of Angelina Jolie’s experience with breast cancer led them to have more open conversations about the topic. In fact, her influence is so profound that experts have termed it the “Angelina Effect” as she has helped alleviate women’s fear of surgery.
After undergoing surgery and returning to film projects, Angelina did not shy away from her new body and scars. She spent time looking at herself in the mirror, appreciating and cherishing her body. She encouraged women to feel confident in their bodies and not be ashamed of their imperfections. Her openness about her appearance concerns and willingness to share her journey has had a significant impact on the feminist movement.
However, despite her success in society, Angelina admits that she struggles with motherhood when she comes home.
The media frenzy surrounding the split of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt was intense, but Jolie has kept mum about the details. The divorce was spurred by allegations that Pitt abused their son Maddox while he was under the influence, which Pitt denies. Despite being together for a decade and having six children, including three adopted, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences for the well-being of the family. The couple now lives near each other and works hard to ensure their children have the best life possible. Jolie currently has temporary full custody, but she wants the children to have a positive relationship with their father. As someone who grew up in a broken family, Jolie understands how discord between parents can affect children, and she strives to keep a peaceful relationship with Pitt. Although she admits she’s not a perfect parent, she’s constantly learning and questioning her decisions.
Jolie’s approach to parenting involves creating an environment where each child can develop in their own way without her asserting her authority over them. She believes in encouraging children to share and open up to their mothers. Jolie does not impose strict rules on her children but instead offers suggestions, such as cleaning suggestions, which they can choose to follow or not. Her upbringing was influenced by her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who valued differences and never forced her children to fulfill her dreams. Jolie understands the impact of fame on her personal life and tries to protect her children from negative social influences. As a result, her children are not allowed to use social media or stay at friends’ houses. Despite this closed lifestyle, Jolie’s relationship with her children remains close. During the premiere of “Eternals,” Jolie brought her children who said they liked seeing their mother play a strong role. Recently, Jolie returned to directing with “Without Blood,” and her two sons, Maddox and Pax Thien, supported her as assistant directors.
