Selena Gomez knows the importance of representation.
The multihyphenate, 32, was honored with the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala, held at The Beverly Hills Hotel, on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The outlet created this award in 2016 to recognize individuals who amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry, according to its website. Another nominee of the event was Nicole Kidman, who received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.
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While accepting her award, the Wizards of Waverly Place alum dedicated it to the “people who don’t have voices and have been overlooked, pushed aside, and most importantly have been disrespected.”
Speaking about what the award represents for her, she recalled a time when she was 15, filming a “kid show” and was approached by a young mother in the audience.
“She was with her daughter and she said, ‘I’m so excited and happy. Thank you for being someone that looks like my daughter on TV because she can finally look up to someone like her,’ ” Gomez recalled being told.
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Although Gomez said that at that age, she was not thinking “about the representation or what the gravity of those words meant,” she was “very grateful” and “wanted to do my best to live up to that in whatever form that looked like.”
“I believe that young girls need to see themselves reflected in diverse roles, heroes, leaders, and complex characters. When girls see women in empowered roles like I have, it inspires them to dream big and pursue their aspirations,” said Gomez.
The actress further said that representation to her is “not just about seeing more faces on the screen, it’s about creating opportunities for people to see themselves.”
“When we give people the platform to tell their stories, we not only deepen our understanding for one another, we open doors to what’s possible,” she said.
While speaking to PEOPLE about the honor, she shared that she believes in equity and representation of “all types of women.”
“I believe so whole heartedly that we deserve to be who we are. We are in control of our bodies, our minds, our soul. We know what works for us,” she says.
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“So I think that, I hope that we’re here to celebrate that and there’s more change coming. We need more stories like Emilia Pérez,” Gomez adds. “We need more moments in history that we can break the mold.”
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