Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Chadwick Boseman, Among 140 to Sign Open Letter for Gender Equality

There’s an open letter calling for action against gender equality with over 100 signatures from television and Hollywood heavyweights such as Oprah, Meryl Streep, Lena Waithe, Issa Rae, Chadwick Boseman, Ryan Reynolds, and more.

The letter which is spearheaded by international charity ONE, is aimed to put political leaders “on notice.” Advocates want to help girls receive an education and get help from leaders to make “historic changes for women.”  The letter describes poverty as sexist and says, “We won’t stand by while the poorest women are overlooked.”

The letter reads:

“Dear World leaders,

We’re putting you on notice.

For 130 million girls without an education. For one billion women without access to a bank account. For 39,000 girls who became child brides today. For women everywhere paid less than a man for the same work.

There is nowhere on earth where women have the same opportunities as men, but the gender gap is wider for women living in poverty.

Poverty is sexist. And we won’t stand by while the poorest women are overlooked.

You have the power to deliver historic changes for women this year. From the G7 to the G20; from the African Union to your annual budgets; we will push you for commitments and hold you to account for them. And, if you deliver, we will be the first to champion your progress.

We won’t stop until there is justice for women and girls everywhere.

Because none of us are equal until all of us are equal.”