Salma on Superwomen

Actress-producer Salma Hayek, engaged and pregnant at 40, seems to be at the peak of her career and her personal life. But she says women should resist the pressure to strive for that perfect balance.

“Motherhood is not for everyone,” Salma tells Marie Claire. “It is for me, but there’s no reason women should feel rushed to have a child.”

“Society thinks if you don’t have children, you’ve failed as a woman, even if you are CEO of a company,” the “Ugly Betty” producer explains. “You’ve got to be beautiful, smart, skinny, tall, rich, successful at your job, married to the right guy — and have genius children. And by the way, you also have to be a nun!”

The gorgeous star says she also feels pressure from Hollywood to maintain a flawless red-carpet appearance: “The stress is sensational. But then, you have to keep everything in perspective. It’s a dress, hair, makeup — c’mon, let’s go! We have to stop this obsession that starts when we’re teenagers: ‘Am I pretty enough?’”

That’s one thing Salma really doesn’t have to worry about.