It’s no secret that Oprah Winfrey is arguably the most powerful woman in media, so her being selected as this year’s Variety Power of Women honoree was more than deserving.
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But when introduced by director Ava DuVernay, the media mogul in her signature style, turned everyone’s attention towards the other illustrious women in the room.
“There no longer seems to be the fear of retribution”, she said.
Salma Hayek Pinault also added that she is extremely confident that she belongs to a generation of change and pointed out that women actors in Hollywood did not want to be considered for only romantic comedies that speak about finding the ideal Prince Charming for them. “If you have the same capacities and you are doing the same job, it is criminal not to pay the same salary.”Gwyneth Paltrow, whose $9 million in earnings ranked her 12th on Forbes’ list of highest-paid actresses in Hollywood this year, told Reuters that women in Hollywood have been criticized for speaking about disparities in pay”.
‘In only two years … we have affected 3 million families and communities, ‘ the actress and activist said.
Recognized for her incredible work with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, Winfrey was the only one to receive a standing ovation at the event.
Though they didn’t walk the red carpet together, Paltrow’s reported boyfriend, Scream Queens, co-creator Brad Falchuk, was there to support the Iron Man 3 star as she was honored by their friend and colleague, American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy, with the Life Impact Award for her work with L.A Kitchen. Hayek noted, “It’s an exciting time for women to take responsibility to redefine who we really are, what are our real conflicts today. Yes, we suffer a few slings and arrows along the way, not me obviously”, she joked.
“This is a problem that is in every single industry”, she said.
She said Chime for Change is launching a new initiative called Chime for the Children of Syria.
Winfrey urged the room to make a difference themselves, continuing, “What we’ve done, you can do”. We are encouraging each other to change business models, to try new ventures.
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In spite of that improvement, there are still glaring inequalities between the treatment of men and women in Hollywood, as Paltrow pointed out earlier this week when discussing the wage gap.
