Charlize Theron is opening up about women and the aging process in Hollywood. The Oscar winner, who is currently promoting her Christian Dior project in the media, says that it's unfortunate that women get written off by the time they are 40, despite the fact that most feel like they are in their 'prime' at that age.

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In a new interview with Women's Wear Daily, Theron discusses 'maturing womanhood' and how most find their strength and security through their sexuality.

The actress said, "I think that women find their strength and power in their sexuality, in their sensuality within, [through] getting older and being secure within that. It's ironic that we've built the beauty world around 20-year-olds, when they have no f---in' concept about wisdom, what life is about, having a few relationships below [their] belt and feeling hardships, to grow into [their] skin and feel confident within [themselves] and to feel the value of who [they] are, not because of a man or because of something like that."

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Theron also added that she likes to stay abreast when it comes to the news and politics and that she has more awareness now than she did ever before.

She added, "I really love having an awareness. I don't want to live in a world with blinders on. I don't want to live in a world where I just kind of play on my naïveté - well if I don't know it, then it doesn't exist."

Theron noted that being raised in South Africa helped her gain a keen sense of awareness when it comes to human rights and the world, as well.

"I was raised in a country [South Africa] with a lot of political turmoil. I was part of a culture and a generation that suppressed people and lived under apartheid regimes," Theron explained. "I don't know how you can come out of that and not have an awareness for the world. I think that if my life had turned out any other way and I was working in a bank, I would still feel this way about it, because there's a connection to humanity that to me is really important... I make a real effort to try and live in the real world and not just the dream world."

Tags: Charlize Theron