The Gender Wage Gap has been a discussion point across many industries for a long time, but recently there’s been an upswing in celebs standing up for the cause and letting their voices about inequality in show business be heard. If you missed the headlines, here’s the most recent: “Emma Stone is the latest actress to speak out about the gender pay gap in Hollywood.”(via CNN) While the gender gap is an issue across all lines of business, it’s a hot topic in Hollywood right now.
Emma Stone Talks Equal Pay for Women
In a recent interview with Vogue Magazine, Emma Stone spoke up about the issue, “We should all be treated fairly and paid fairly.” She did add that she has not been directly affected by the gender gap.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have equal pay to my male costars. Not ‘lucky.’ I’ve had pay equal to my male costars in the past few films.” she said. “But our industry ebbs and flows in a way that’s like, ‘How much are you bringing into the box office?’ ‘How much are you the draw or is the other person the draw?'”
According to Bustle.com, “Stone was asked by the Vogue interviewer about her experience, and responded, “I’ve been lucky enough to have equal pay to my male costars. Not ‘lucky’ — I’ve had pay equal to my male costars in the past few films.” It might seem like a small slip of the tongue, but it’s incredibly important that Stone corrected herself. By removing the word “lucky,” she makes it clear that she knows that receiving equal pay is not some sort of privilege. It’s a right as a human being. Women have just been conditioned to think and feel otherwise, because, unfortunately, that kind of gender equality in wages is not yet universal.”
Check out CNN Money’s video: Hollywood inequality is a Top Down Problem
It’s important that we all recognize that the world has come a long way over the years. We’ve made strides with women’s rights and women’s equality that are pretty phenomenal – but there’s still a long way to go – especially when it comes to equal pay. We all work just as hard. We go to school, we go to work, we lead teams and come up with ideas – just like our male counterparts. Equal pay isn’t a special luxury, it’s what all women deserve – from Hollywood to the boardroom. So congrats to the celebs and women everywhere who are speaking up for their rights and are bring a pretty major issue to the table – it’s clear that it’s time to make this change too.
Have you ever been affected by the gender wage gap?
