NICOLA Sturgeon has said the word “woke” has become a “pejorative term of abuse” to describe people who care about equality.

Speaking on Channel 4 news, Scotland’s First Minister was asked if she described herself as “woke”.

Sturgeon said while she doesn’t mind the original intended meaning of the word, it has since been used to abuse others who promote the rights of minorities.

Channel 4 said that since Brexit, Scotland has been seen by some as the "progressive force in the UK".

Asked by journalist Symeon Brown whether the First Minister described herself as woke, she said: “In terms of what the word woke was originally intended to be? I don't have any difficulty with that.

READ MORE: Gerry Hassan: How right-wingers waging 'war on woke' show their entitlement

“My concern with the word woke is it's become a pejorative term of abuse to almost criticise people who care for equality and want to promote the rights of minorities.

“I think these days, it's probably more helpful to shy away from the labels and actually focus on the substance of the positions.”

Channel 4 then asked Sturgeon if the British Museum should return looted goods - following Aberdeen University.

Sturgeon suggested it was important to address these issues but added “it isn’t always for people like me, frankly, white people, to say what is right and wrong in these things”.

She added: “It's people who bear the burden of these historic injustices whose voices matter and much more in whether it's about giving back things that should never have been owned in the first place, making reparations, changing names.

"Those views, frankly matter perhaps more than the voice of somebody like me does.”

Asked if she would consider reparations in an independent Scotland, Sturgeon said it would be considered.

“I'm trying not to shy away from anything like this because I think it's really important as we reckon with our history,” she said.

“None of us were around at that time. We're not directly responsible for that history. But we have to recognise that the legacy of that lives with us to this day in many different respects.”

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon calls Janey Godley tweets 'completely beyond the pale'

Asked if the culture war is real and about its relationship with Scottish independence, the First Minister said: “I think culture wars are real, and I think every politician with an ounce of responsibility has to resist them with everything they've got.

“No, I don't think the independence argument is an aspect of culture wars.

"Is it absolutely the case that there will be some who tried to co-op the independence movement into these broader culture wars?

“Absolutely. But I would resist that with everything I've got."