Kerry Washington Says Being a 'Girl Mom' Makes Her 'Want to Do More and Better' for Her Kids

28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – Arrivals
28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – Arrivals
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Kerry Washington is celebrating her role as a girl mom.

While walking the red carpet at Time's Women of the Year gala on International Women's Day Tuesday, the actress, 45, chatted with Entertainment Tonight's Nischelle Turner about how raising a daughter makes her want to "do better."

The Scandal star, who was honored at Tuesday's event, shares daughter Isabelle Amarachi, 7, and son Caleb Kelechi, 5, with husband Nnamdi Asomugha.

"I do think being a 'girl mom,' makes you think about these issues in a different way," said Washington. "They just make me want to do more and better and be there for them."

Speaking about receiving the honor at the gala, Washington admitted, "It's very surreal."

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"I'm thrilled to be able to be here, being honored with women who are heroes of mine, and who are doing extraordinary work, and to amplify their work and just sort of cheer each other on," she continued. "There's so much work to do to make this world a better place, so it's really thrilling to be able to celebrate some women who are working towards that."

Washington wasn't the only one to speak about her daughter on International Women's Day.

In honor of the holiday on Tuesday, Gwyneth Paltrow, 49, paid tribute to her 17-year-old daughter Apple with a heartwarming post on Instagram.

"Happy international womens day. I've been spending the morning thinking about all of the incredible women I love, who love me back hard. I keep thinking about the women I have known since kindergarten or 7th grade, who are more strongly in my life than almost ever," Paltrow began her caption alongside a photo of her FaceTiming her daughter.

"But today I want to pay tribute to one (technically almost) woman on the cusp of it," she continues, speaking of Apple. "This woman gives me hope for the future of sisterhood, and for the future of our planet. And this woman has made me the woman I am today more than anyone else."