Shania Twain broke down walls and shattered barriers when she came out with her The Woman in Me album in 1995, which sold a record-breaking 20 million copies. While she certainly helped boost the careers of other female singers in country music, her success came at a time when several female artists, including Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and more, were enjoying as much success as their male counterparts, and the Canadian says it’s past time we return to that balance within the genre.

“You realize how much room there is for females in country music — tons — because we are nowhere near equality yet,” Shania said on Good Morning America. “That is good news for us. I only see it as good news, and we have to make room for ourselves. We have to make better music. We have to be at our utmost best, strive for excellence, and that is the only way. We can’t be passive and we have to persevere.”

A recent study showed that women in country music accounted for only 10 percent of music within the genre, which Shania says makes the female artists work much, much harder than men — a disadvantage that she believes exists outside of country music as well.

“I think women in every platform in life need to make more of a statement, not necessarily be louder, just they have to know themselves better,” said the singer. “They need to almost excel beyond the average male in order to be heard, to stand out enough … and to be recognized.. A lot of that is just lack of opportunity, so we have to fight harder in order to get our opportunity.”

Shania insisted on embracing her femininity and sexuality, both with her songs and videos, something that had never been done — at least not to the degree she did it — before her. It’s a lesson she says other female artists, especially those getting started, need now more than ever.

“Whatever your work is, whatever you create has to be absolutely excellent,” Shania stated. “You can’t look to the guy next to you and the other guy to the next side of you and the one above you and the one below you and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to match what they’re doing and I should be okay.’ You can’t take that for granted. You have to outdo yourself.”

“It’s never going to be good enough. It’s always got to be better,” she continued. “Be true to yourself as how you want to be represented…Have your intentions clear in your mind already, that’s where you’re going to get your confidence when you represent yourself.”

Shania just announced the release of The Woman in Me: Diamond Edition, in honor of the historic record’s 25th anniversary.