Emma Watson Calls For Gender Equality In Hollywood: “I’ve Experienced Sexism”
The Hollywood actress has shone light on the issue of sexism in the film and TV industry. [Photo: Getty]
Emma Watson isn’t one to shy away from saying what she thinks, particularly when defending women’s rights – just one of the reasons why she makes such a brilliant UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
The actress has spoken numerous times about gender equality, most notably in her game-changing speeches for the UN, and she’s now calling out sexism in Hollywood in a way that everyone understands.
As part of a larger piece by The Guardian on the industry’s sexist practices, the “Perks Of Being A Wallflower” star has used hard-hitting figures to show how few women are key players in the film world.
“I have experienced sexism in that I have been directed by male directors 17 times and only twice by women,” the 25-year-old admitted.
“Of the producers I’ve worked with 13 have been male and only one has been a woman. But I am lucky: I have always insisted on being treated equally and have generally won that equality. Most of the problems I have encountered have been in the media, where I have been treated so incredibly differently from my male co-stars.
“I think my work with the UN has probably made me even more aware of the problems. I went out for a work dinner recently. It was seven men… and me.”
Watson admits that despite her fight to be treated equally, she does struggle with some aspects of working with such a large number of men in positions of power.
“If something does go wrong in the workplace, the support network is not brilliant,” she said. “The men at the top often find it difficult to relate to a lot of the problems women face and therefore we aren’t taken very seriously.
“Yet, women are just as guilty of discriminating against women. Some of the best feminists I have encountered are men, like Steve Chbosky who directed me in ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, and director James Ponsoldt who I am working with at the moment [on ‘The Circle’]. Some women can be incredibly prejudiced against other women!”
Watson’s comments come as another of the world’s top actresses, Marion Cotillard, disappointingly revealed that she doesn’t believe feminism has a place in the film industry – despite The Guardian’s report revealing that a jaw-dropping 99 per cent of women working in the TV and film industries have experienced sexism.
Marion Cotillard has admitted she’s not a feminist. [Photo: Getty]
The French actress, known for her roles in “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises”, told Porter magazine “film-making is not about gender”.
“You cannot ask a president in a film festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men,” the 40-year-old said. “For me, it doesn’t create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I don’t qualify myself as a feminist. We need to fight for women’s rights, but I don’t want to separate women from men.”
Age is just one issue for women working in film and TV. Anne Hathaway recently hit the headlines after opening up about the age barrier that still exists, admitting that she’s lost out on film roles to younger actresses.
Anne Hathaway recently admitted she’s been rejected for roles because she’s “too old” - at the age of 32. [Photo: Getty]
Despite being incredibly good at what she does (and being beautiful to boot), Hathaway says she’s often left wondering why younger women win parts that she thought she had a shot at.
Yet male actors don’t seem to encounter the same issues. A study conduced earlier this year proved that women have it tough on screen and are still treated like second-class citizens when it comes to most Hollywood movies.
In addition to being mainly being cast in supporting roles (such as the mother, wife or girlfriend) they also tend to be younger than the men on screen. The majority of female stars are in their 20s (23 per cent) and 30s (30 per cent).
Whereas men over the age of 40 accounted for 53 per cent of characters, women that age represented just 30 per cent. That has implications for the number of female authority figures onscreen.
One thing’s for sure; the industry needs to change and make room and adjustments for women – whether that’s by providing more support for working mums or simply making sure females are given as many opportunities as their male peers.
Have you encountered sexism at work? Tweet us your story at @YahooStyleUK.
Is Hollywood Ageist? Anne Hathaway Is Only 32 – And Already Losing Roles To Younger Actresses
