Today is Women’s Equality Day, which was recognized as a holiday in 1971 by the U.S Congress to remember the 19th Amendment of the Constitution. It says that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”. It's a day we remember the long fight for women rights reforms and realizing that we still have a long way to go.  It may be almost fifty years later but we still have domestic violence,  genital mutilation,  sex trafficking, the wage gap and a low conviction rate for rapists.  The people have spoken out from the streets to boardrooms, with video footage of mansplaining, women fighting back, and women bringing their issues to the public's attention. Unfortunately, even though progress has been made some parts of the ceiling remain unbroken and social media has made sexual harassment, stalking, and trolling even easier.

Film industry changes

In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence wrote an essay on equal pay in the film industry since then many other actresses have stepped up to demand a change. They include Hilary Swank from "Boys Don't Cry,"  who revealed that she couldn’t cover her health insurance on her salary. Emma Stone, Michelle Rodriguez, Emilia Fox and Robin Wright from the"House of Cards" all demanded to be paid the same as their male counterparts.  Many others have spoken out like Viola Davis best known for her role in "How to Get Away With Murder" who said that “if a woman does the same job as a man, she should be paid the same amount of money. She just should. That’s just the way the world should work. ” Actresses aren’t the only ones demanding equal pay many female directors and even the BBC director general, Tony Hall, has said that he hopes they can close the gender pay gap sooner than 2020, after an impressive intervention by more than 40 of its most high-profile female stars.

How to help

There are many ways for you to get involved - from supporting women in their careers to donating to Women’s Rights organizations. Some of these organizations include Women For Women International, Equality Now, Lady Parts Justice, Global Fund For Women, National Organization For Women, and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. All of these organizations help women in different parts of the world. The most effective way to change the law is to call your representatives and vote your elections. People are also using social media to get their message out to the general public and using their creativity to create memes, gifs, and documentaries about women’s rights that are very popular these days. Remember that on August 26th,  we celebrate the women who fought for equality and remember to keep fighting for the cause.

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March is not only a time to welcome the springtime but also a month to celebrate women worldwide as it is Women’s History Month! There have been a lot of women who have contributed to the film industry―whether through directing, screenwriting, etc. A great example would be Tamar Simon Hoffs, who is well-known for her work in the film Red Roses and Petrol (2003) that was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures (WWMPC). Hoffs is particularly interesting as she is the first woman to receive credit for playing all three roles of director, writer, and producer for the major studio film, The Allnighter (1987).

Despite the great strides women in the film industry have accomplished, there has been a problem for both genders in Hollywood―diversity. As a result, to commemorate Women’s History Month, why not discuss the growth in diversity amongst actresses throughout the years? Here are two amazing actresses that have made significant contributions to the diversity in Hollywood!

First off would be Academy Award Golden Globe and Emmy award actress, Viola Davis! Since 2014, Davis has been in the popular TV drama How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her portrayal in the TV drama also won her two SAG Awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2012, she was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And Sunday she won her first Academy Award, for her role in "Fences."

Another actress that promotes diversity would be Constance Wu! Wu is known for her role as Jessica Huang in the ABC comedy series Fresh Off the Boat. It is a known fact that there is a limited number of Asian actors in Hollywood and Wu is well-known to speak her thoughts regarding this matter. For instance, in one of her interviews with Entertainment Weekly, she stated “[Diversity] doesn't mean we want the white people to write Asian stories. What I want is to foster the Asian-American writers and directors and producers and actors...foster their stories to come into the spotlight a little bit.”

It is great to see the growth that women in the film industry, especially in Hollywood, have accomplished. Although there still exist problems and obstacles actresses have to face, they have indeed come a long way! Let’s clap our hands for the actresses out there who continue to push through these obstacles and help pave the way for other women in the industry or those interested in joining.

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