London, March 9: French justice minister Rachida Dati has defended her decision to return to work five days after giving birth, saying that that it was her personal choice and not an attempt to prove herself to be a "high-performance" superwoman.

The 43-year-old minister, who has fallen from grace with President Nicolas Sarkozy, made this statement during her first interview since her maternity leave, which was published on International Woman’s Day.

"My health was up to it and I would have done nothing against my doctor''s advice. You mustn''t believe that I wasn''t tired. Of course I was. I''m not 20 anymore. Moreover, I''m justice minister, I have my duties," the Telegraph quoted her as telling Le Journal du Dimanche.

"But, fundamentally, I believe that the most important right of women is freedom," she added.

Dati gave birth by Caesarean section to baby Zohra in January, and rushed to the office so soon that several feminists slammed her saying that she had done a disservice to working women.

Describing her private life as "complicated", the unmarried mother reaffirmed that she would not name the father of her daughter.

"Of course I would have dreamed of starting a more conventional family, but life decided otherwise," she said.

Among those who have denied being the father are President Sarkozy''s brother Francois, a Qatari prosecutor, and Jose Maria Aznar, the former Spanish prime minister. (ANI)