Jada Pinkett Smith: Women have the right to be just as 'sexually enlivened' as men

The Magic Mike XXL actress tackles the stigma surrounding female sexuality

Jada Pinkett Smith tackles the stigma surrounding female sexuality (Getty Images )

Jada Pinkett Smith has criticised the stigma surrounding women who are overtly sexual, arguing that females have the right to be just as "sexually enlivened" as men.

The Magic Mike XXL star undertakes the role of Rome, the MC for a troupe of male strippers, in the forthcoming film.

Her character is arguably the strongest on screen and is openly sexual, particularly when introducing each stripper on stage.

When asked about female sexuality and her role, she told Yahoo: "I really want it to embody a woman who is just a sexually enlivened creature, that women have the right to be as sexually enlivened as a man, and that it’s healthy, inspiring and rejuvenating. "

Pinkett Smith, who is married to Will Smith, said women are prevented from achieving sexual freedom because of the stigma inherent in modern society about women and sex.

"I think it's the way in which society thinks that women should relate to sex," she added. "I think that society believes that men have the license to have sexual freedom and women don't.

"When women take the license to have sexual freedom they are given a stigma and that's why."