Salma Hayek talks equal pay for women

Gwyneth Paltrow also among stars lending voice to concern in Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES: In a week that saw Meryl Streep speak out about equal pay and other actors of the film Suffragette applaud domestic violence protesters who invaded their premiere, the topic took centre stage at a Los Angeles event on Friday.

The ‘Power of Women’ event, hosted by trade magazine Variety, honoured Oprah Winfrey, Anna Kendrick and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, among others. On the red carpet, conversation quickly turned to the fight for gender equality in Hollywood.

“I feel that women are more united than ever and I think it’s more obvious now than ever and that people are beginning to show some support because we are — our demographic — a very strong, economical power also as movie-goers,” said Salma Hayek.

On equal pay, an issue highlighted numerous times in the past year as more high-profile female actors demanded the same salaries as their male co-stars, Hayek said it was a problem that went beyond Hollywood. “This is a problem that’s in every single industry,” she said. “If you have the same capacities and are doing the same job, it’s criminal not to pay the same salary.”

Gwyneth Paltrow, whose $9 million in earnings ranked her 12th on Forbes’ list of highest-paid female actors in Hollywood this year, stated that women in Hollywood have been criticised for speaking about disparities in pay. “You were considered ungrateful, you were considered entitled. So, I think it’s amazing that women now are saying ‘We’re going to talk about this. This isn’t fair’,” she said.

On whether she could foresee a time when pay will be equal between the sexes, Paltrow noted, “I think so. When I look at my daughter and her peers and I look at the millennial women, I think it’s all about to change.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2015.

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