#Oscars2016 #PledgeForParity

 

The world again tuned in to this year’s Oscars to watch Hollywood on parade. But red carpet interviews aren’t the whole story. Time and again, actors have used the Academy Awards as a stage to spark debate about social change.

Watch this short film about pledging for parity!

 

 

At last year’s Oscars, Patricia Arquette used her acceptance speech to shine a light on the gender pay gap in Hollywood, saying: “It’s our time to have wage equality for once and for all!” Last year Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson were the only two women to be listed on the Celebrity 100 list of Forbes’ top paid celebrities. And, even after three Oscar wins, Meryl Streep continues to earn less than her male counterparts.

But this issue goes far beyond Hollywood

It will take another 117 years to achieve global gender parity, according to a recent prediction by The World Economic Forum. This isn’t just unfair to women in the workplace, it’s also detrimental to an entire country’s economy. Closing the gender gap can increase a country’s GDP by 15 percent or more. This means more jobs, more spending, and a light at the end of the tunnel for countries stuck in extreme poverty.

To move from talk to purposeful action, we need influential men and women to raise their voices for the millions of women who continue to go unheard.

Hollywood has the ability to spotlight the issue of gender parity: to champion women the world over who struggle to support themselves and their families.

Global CItizen this year called on tweeters to ask Oscar nominees to amplify their voices by making a #PledgeForParity because we all need to speak up about the gender pay gap to help end extreme poverty by 2030.

 

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