Jennifer Lawrence and 19 Hollywood female celebrities have lent their voices to April 12's Equal Pay Day commemoration. It is the day that represents how far into this year women must work in order to earn what men earned last year.
It is no longer easy to deny the reality of gender pay gap since it affects all rungs of industry including the elite abode of sports and entertainment. The insidiousness of the situation has induced high-profile women to come forward revealing their particular experiences related to pay inequality.
They include actresses who recounted their struggles in the negotiation rooms, and non-white women which bring to focus the increasing pay gap for colored workers.
The 20 Hollywood celebrities who dared to come out and speak about their gender pay gap experiences include Jennifer Lawrence, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amanda Seyfried, Selma Hayek, Cate Blanchet, Jessica Alba, Judy Greer, Patricia Arquette, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Viola Davis, Carey Mulligan, Kerry Washington, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Gillian Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Sharon Stone and Nicki Minaj.
Here are some statements from some of these women celebrities regarding their gender pay gap experiences.
Jennifer Lawrence said: "When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn't get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early. I'm over trying to find the 'adorable' way to state my opinion and still be likable!"
Amanda Seyfried's experience was similar. "A few years ago, on one of my big-budget films, I found I was being paid 10 percent of what my male costar was getting, and we were pretty even in status. I think people think because I'm easygoing and game to do things, I'll just take as little as they offer. But it's not about how much you get, it's about how fair it is."
The Equal Pay Day celebration was started by a coalition of women's groups, unions and other social activists in 1996. Statistics show that that median income per year of women is approximately $40,000. Men's pay on the other hand is pegged at $50,000 per annum.
This means women earn slightly less than 80 cents for each dollar that men make.
