Women in Hollywood have made incredible changes from how things were perceived before. For too many years, actresses were treated like sex symbols or less than intelligent.
Back when women filmmakers were just not heard of with the exception of Ida Lupino who broke all the molds. Women are now on level playing fields and finally getting the recognition and respect they have always deserved.
Charlize Theron
The Oscar-winning actress spoke up for women in the industry and her powerful presence didn't exactly hurt the cause.
Charlize is known for her standing up and negotiating for a higher salary for her role in the 2016 film Snow White And The Huntsman. She expected to receive the same salary as her co-star Chris Hemsworth.
See who else makes the list:
Pop-Culture Feminist Icon
She is also well-known for her powerful performance in the 2015 film Mad Max Fury Road. Her character Impetora Furiosa has become a pop-culture feminist.
Her comment was, Girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing.
Gina Rodriguez
Thanks to her character in Jane the Virgin, Gina Rodriguez has reached international star-hood. She often talks about how she has used her powerful platform to reach out to other people and be heard.
She tells young women and girls that it does not matter what color you are, what your background is or whatever you were born into, you are perfect, strong, beautiful, and right! She has pointed out that of course it's is right because she living proof sitting here, not some stereotype!
We Will Foundation
Not only does she put her money where her mouth is, but she also uses social media to reach out.
Also, in 2016, she founded the We Will Foundation to support an art education for women who do not have the means to pursue the arts without assistance.
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot is a living, shining example of a strong woman. She is so well-known for her re-shoots for Wonder Woman while she was 5 months pregnant with her second child!
She is considered one of the strongest female leads in all of Hollywood and has shown many times over, women can accomplish anything.
Superhero
Gal was raised in a small town in Israel and spoke with Rolling Stone about her journey in becoming one of the biggest names in the industry and that feminism helped her all the way.
She also said that when asked if she is a feminist, it's quite surprising because she believes of course she is. She also believes that every woman and every man should be feminist because otherwise, you are a sexist.
Ellen DeGeneres
Feminist, comedian, human rights activist, and all-around talented lady:
Ellen DeGeneres has been speaking out for women and LGBT rights throughout her entire career.
Breaking Barriers
Ellen came out as gay on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Time magazine. She was the first to openly say she is a gay lesbian and that she played an openly gay lesbian character on the show.
This announcement had a major impact on her career because this was during a time when many people refused to work with her. In the long run, it created a national dialog about freedom and sexuality!
Reese Witherspoon
This Oscar-winning actress has established herself as one of the most successful women throughout Hollywood for many years.
She considers Oprah Winfrey as one of her best friends and has surfaced as one of the most powerful producers on top of all her other accomplishments.
Pacific Standard
Earlier on, Reese was a part of EW's Beyond Beautiful round table and started her own production company, Pacific Standard in 2012. Her goal has been to produce films that center on creating interesting and diverse female characters.
The production company produced Gone Girl, Hot Pursuit, and Wild.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé is another mega power in Tinsel Town tearing down boundaries and establishing herself as one of the most powerful people in the industry.
In a rare interview with Elle Magazine, she explained her take on feminism and how she relates to it through her music.
Saying It Like It Is
In her interview, Beyoncé said that she was not really sure if people knew or understood what a feminist is but she believes it's equal rights for both men and women.
She also said that she does not understand the negative implications of the word or why it seems to exclude men! If you are the father of a daughter, you should want her to have the same opportunities and rights as your son. She said you are a feminist if you believe in this concept.
We need both men and women to understand the double standards that still seem to exist and have a real conversation in order to make positive changes.
Ariana Grande
Ariana is a larger than life singer who has gone through one enormous roller-coaster ride over the past year. A tourist attack at her concert to her ex's death (McMiller) and a broken engagement.
Still, she has stayed strong and has tried her best to empower her old fans as well as her new fans.
God Is A Woman
Also, she released her female anthem God Is A Woman on her new album which rose to the top of the charts. Without a doubt, this was a very positive message for women!
Shonda Rhimes
Shonda Rhimes is an African woman who has been tearing down walls since the beginning of her career. This is an industry that has been dominated by men, especially white men, for far too many years.
Shonda is an executive producer, director, and showrunner for many very popular shows including Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, and How To Get Away With Murder.
'There Are No Dumb Weak Woman'
Rhimes is not only a very talented individual, but she also is not afraid to have her thoughts known by all when it comes to a woman's role in Tinsel Town. Over the month of February 2018, she tweeted some interesting thoughts that I will paraphrase:
She tweeted that the entertainment industry must stop phrasing things such as “smart strong women or strong female leads because there are no dumb weak women.
A woman who is strong is just a woman! She also iterated that women make up half the planet, they are not TV Trends. As I said, she has no problems sharing her viewpoints and we're so glad she speaks out!
Emma Watson
From the time that Hermoine Grangers showed up on the screen with her “I know Everything” attitude, Watson has moved more than just mountains during her career.
She has continually been very outspoken about women's rights, gender equality, the environment, and is not afraid to share it with the masses.
A Woman Of Many Talents
Ms. Watson is not just an actress, she is a goodwill ambassador for the U.N focusing on gender equality. She certainly was the talk around all media outlets when she posed for Vanity Fair, braless.
Emma has stated that feminism is not a club to beat women over the head with, it's about freedom, liberation, equality, and giving women choices.
She said that tits have nothing to do with it and that's just really confusing mentality!
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain is verbal support of the Times Up movement and a leading icon for feminism which all women should embrace.
She has put her money where her mouth is on many occasions including ensuring that her co-star Octavia Spencer would receive the exact same pay as she did for the project they worked on together.
Working With A Female Director Yearly
She has worked hard to change the Hollywood culture by working with many female filmmakers.
In her THR editorial she stated that women are not given the same opportunities and believed that if she has any influence in choosing a script, a film, or a director, she can make a big difference.
Since 2008, she has continually stuck to her word and has worked with female directors including Kathryn Bigelow, Ami Canaan Mann, Liv Ulman, Niki Caro, and Susanna White.
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham is equivalent with her outspoken, an unapologetic mindset, and get in your face attitude.
Lena is the creator of the very popular show Girls and even though she has her fair share of critics, she is an amazing powerhouse who knows exactly what she wants and knows how to get what she wants.
The Gift Of A Voice
Dunham goes out of her way to play characters that are easy to relate to and on many occasions has blasted the industry for their unrealistic standards for women's physical appearance with the female cast.
Lena broke the standards in her series Girls and has sued to speak out about inequality. She is a strong advocate for sexual assault survivors as well.
During the 2015 Power Of Women event, she stated that she was so grateful every single day for the gifts she has been given, especially the gift of a voice and the people who are willing to hear it.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is known for her hilarious sense of humor but also knows how to be quite serious when she needs to be.
She has never backed down in letting her thoughts be known when it comes to inequality issues including the unfair pay system of Hollywood.
Get A Grip On It
When she feels the need, she has no problems putting people in their place and making her stance very firm. A great deal of controversy swarmed around the outfit she wore for a photo shoot with many claiming it was totally inappropriate for the weather at that time.
Well, she shot back by saying she will wear whatever she darn well feels like wearing!
While on Facebook, after all these comments, she wrote that people need to get a grip on it. Everything she wears is her choice and if she wants to be cold, then That's Her Choice Too!
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an actress, Academy Award winner, mother, and activist. She has also experienced many hardships that are exclusive to women in Hollywood.
After losing her mother, grandmother, and aunt to cancer, the mother of six decided to have a double mastectomy and surgically have her ovaries removed.
She had stepped forward with this announcement, making women's health a very important topic for discussion.
Humanitarian Work
She has worked with the UN concentrating on women's struggles in war-torn areas of the world.
Her involvement did not go without recognition, she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her hard work.
Jane Fonda
There is no doubt that Jane Fonda is one of the pioneers for empowering women in Hollywood.
Recently, she wrote an essay for Lena Dunham's magazine “Lenny Letter” which described her journey to become an Embodied Feminist and also talked about her struggle with an eating disorder during a time when trying to live up to societies unrealistic standards placed on women.
Embodied Feminist
In explaining her definition of feminism, she said that it's not about replacing one archy with another. It's about changing social and cultural norms and institutions so that power, violence, and greed are not the leading operating principles.
It's not about going from patriarchy to matriarchy, it's going from patriarchy to democracy. Feminism is True Democracy.
Madonna
Madonna has been a feminist for many years and is one of the leading participants in the empowerment of women in Hollywood.
She endured her own issues over the 35 years of her career.
Playing The Game
Discussing stereotypes and double standards in the way women are treated, she said that if you are a girl, you have to play the game. You can be cute, pretty, and sexy but don't act like you are smart. Do not have an opinion that is outside the status quo.
You can be seen as an object to men and dress like a slut just don't own your sluttiness. Do not talk about your own sexual illusions with everyone. Well, guess she crossed those lines many times over.
Viola Davis
When it comes to talking about unequal pay, this very positive, outspoken actress is not afraid to share her opinions.
At the Women in the World Los Angeles Salon, she came out swinging against the racial pay gap saying that she has a career that is comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moor, and Sigourney Weaver.
They are on the same path as she is but, she is nowhere near them, not as far as money is concerned, not as far as job opportunities are concerned, nowhere close to it.
”I’m Worthy”
She continued her powerful speech saying people say “You Are The Black Meryl Streep and we love you. She concluded by saying - Well, then if there’s no one like me.
She said that she should be paid for what she is worth and she does not have to hustle for that because she is more than worthy!
Natalie Portman
The young, gorgeous, and talented actress Natalie Portman knows that her activism is just as important to her as her career. She is a vegan that continually fights for animal rights as well as fighting against gender inequality.
She is also a leading supporter of Time's Up.
It’s All Connected
The star of Vox Lux shared her feelings about her activism saying it's all under the same system.
Natalie told The Hollywood Reporter at a screening of the documentary which she narrated and produced “Eating Animals” she said it's not an accident that women are treated in a different way in our society and our Earth is called Mother Earth but it's treated badly.
Bravo Natalie Portman!
Meryl Streep
Meryl is undoubtedly the most powerful actress in Hollywood. She has received 16 Academy Award nominations, winning 2 along with 25 Golden Globe nominations in which she won 7.
In real life, not in front of a camera, she has taken on the role as a model for young girls and women as an advocate for their rights.
Demanding Change
Meryl stressed her opinions at the Massachusetts Conference for Women along with other notable women in the industry stressing their opinions regarding equal pay for women.
Streep strongly believes that if true equality meant true equality, starting at the top, none of this stuff would be going on now and would never be tolerated.
Chrissy Teigen
Over the past 2 years, she has expressed her dislike for President Trump.
When Trump came out with his Zero Tolerance Immigration policy, she said that she was so incredibly proud to be the daughter of immigrants from Thailand.
Proud Of Her Routes
She said that she believes America is at its best, beautiful, and diverse like the city of Los Angeles.
Geena Davis
Long before it was trendy in Hollywood to actively fight for changes within the industry, Geena Davis was doing just that.
In 2006, she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media which focuses on examining gender representation on the screen.
She is an advocate for women being honestly depicted in Hollywood.
Power Player
To date, she has never stopped her battle and in 2015, she used her power to fund the Bentonville Film Festival whose mission is to champion women and diverse voices within the media.
You Go For It Girl!!
Kristen Bell
Kristen has proven that small packages can pack a really powerful punch! She was incredibly vocal about the gender pay gap in 2016 when she appeared in the feminist video “Pinksourcing”.
Paraphrasing what she said in the video – why are we outsourcing all production out to other countries including India, China, and Narnia when we have the cheapest best workforce right here in the USA?
Bell Of The Ball
As of 2018, Bell has continued to be a defender of women and in March, it was announced she would become the first global advocate for the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
This is a UN and civil society partnership that supports women to prevent crises and build peace.
Sharmeen Obaid
As a producer and director, Sharmeen is not only causing waves in the industry but also pushing for political changes. As of 2016, she made history as being the only Pakistani to win 2 Academy Awards and the only woman of color to win the award in 2016.
This award was established by her amazing film “A Girl in the River – The Price of Forgiveness”.
Reaching Politics
During accepting her award, she said that The Pakistani Prime Minister had stated he would change the law regarding honor killing after watching the film.
Well, during that year, a loophole was thrown out which allowed the executioners of honor killing to avoid punishment by seeking forgiveness. In turn, that would call for a legal pardon.
Patty Jenkins
Although Patty might not be the most recognized woman in the industry, as a director, she has moved mountains by showing the incredible value women play behind the cameras.
She is the woman behind the cameras in the film Wonder Woman.
Real Wonder Woman
Patty is known as the first woman director to take on a project of such magnitude for the DC world.
She not only did an incredible job of bringing Wonder Woman to life, but showing the strength of women!
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer is an actress and stand-up comedian that also happens to be a breath of fresh air.
She has covered many issues in her comedy show including rape, gender double standards, and overall Hollywood sexism.
Saying It Like It Is
She seems to always show what woman really go through every day without glamorizing their lives. She has documented her pregnancy to her fans on her social media.
Her video clearly shows how very un-glamorous it can be when vomiting in a public restroom is the only resource!
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Streisand is probably best known for her incredible vocal range as a singer and her skills as a director. She is also one of the most powerful women of this century.
She is also the only woman to have won the Golden Globe for Best Director for her 1983 film “Yentl”.
The Time Has Come
In 2010, this actress/director presented the Oscar for Best Director to the only female recipient, Kathryn Bigelow, and said The Time Has Come.
She has spoken out for the need for gender equality both in films and in the political arena She still believes that women are still treated as second-class citizens.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey, around the world, is known as the queen of the talk show world.
She is also well-regarded for her stance on many controversial issues including women's rights.
President Winfrey?
Things only get better! After her very stirring speech at the Golden Globes, many are pressuring her to run for President of the United States.
Her speech also transformed the Golden Globes into a leading platform for women's rights and for social justice.
Ava DuVernay
Ava is a director who has no problem standing up to people who ruffle her feathers. She continues her battle to level the playing field when it comes to male vs female directors.
Most recently, she literally dared a male director to come after her and sue her for his complaint that she favors female directors! Poor baby, there never seemed to be a problem when directors were all males!!!
Go Right Ahead
The director of The Wrinkle In Time, told her audience when accepting the Woman of Vision Award that after receiving the complaint, to come and get it! She has no problem taking on anyone who feels discriminated against to sue her so she, in turn, can sue every single studio that has left women out.
She finished with, we can do this if that's what you want to do.
Malala Yousafzai
Just about everyone knows who this woman is after all the hell she has gone through, fighting for her beliefs.
In 2012, she was shot by the Taliban after she spoke up, publicly, for girls' education.
A Survivor
After surviving her attack, she has gone on to become an activist, an author, a UN messenger for peace, and the youngest Novel Laureate ever, when she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.
She said that change is possible and do not limit yourself, do not stop yourself, just because you are young.
Ashley Judd
Ashley was one of the first actresses to step forward with accusations against Harvey Weinstein which led to a huge discussion about sexual misconduct going on in Hollywood.
She went on record, revealing her story.
Combating Inequality
She has been involved in other areas for combating inequality. In 2012, she published an essay calling for women to challenge patriarchy.
In 2017, she attended the Women's March on Washington and delivered a very powerful poem Nasty Women.
Sofia Coppola
Sophia is a director and writer that made a name for herself in Hollywood.
She was the first woman to win a Beds Director Prize at the Cannes Film Festival over the past 50 years for her film Beguiled.
Quite The Cast
This film is known for its incredible cast of women.
The names include Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Kidman, and Elle Fanning.