Winfrey, Streep sign letter on equality

Los Angeles: Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds, Chadwick Boseman and Lena Dunham are among the 140 signatories from Hollywood will sign an open letter to promote gender equality. The letter campaign, which puts the world leaders “on notice”, is being spearheaded by international charity ONE.

The undersigned also include entertainment industry personalities such as Black Panther star Letitia Wright, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon, Amy Schumer, Issa Rae, Michael Sheen, Thandie Newton and Natalie Dormer.

In the letter, the signatories request attention of the leaders to help every girl child receive an education, saying “We won’t stand by while the poorest women are overlooked”.

“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,” it read.

The letter also urges the global administration “to deliver historic changes for women this year”. “From the G7 to the G20; from the African Union to your annual budgets.”