Bono has praised American actress Jennifer Lawrence for highlighting the gender pay gap – and standing up for herself and other women in the process.
Bono said that he was impressed with the solidarity that Lawrence had shown.
The U2 star told fans in a Facebook Q&A that the gender pay gap is a problem in all industries. He has a charity – called One – which is currently running a campaign called ‘Poverty is Sexist’.
Bono said: “It’s women saying they will not have it anymore. They will not take the bad deal.”
Lawrence had previously stated that of the four stars of the 2013 hit American Hustle, the two men – Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale – were paid considerably more than her and Amy Adams.
She received a lot of praise for speaking out but some people criticised her for complaining about money when she is a multimillionaire.
At the Golden Globes Ricky Gervais joked: “Jennifer Lawrence demanding equal pay for women this year and received overwhelming support from people everywhere. There were marches with nurses and factory workers around the world everywhere saying: ‘How the hell could a 25-year-old live on 52 million?’”
While Gervais was joking, the dismissive attitude he put on is genuinely held by many men in positions of power – judging by the existence of the gender pay gap.
Gervais’ comments also highlighted the plights of women in less highly paid work where the effects of the pay gap are likely to come into play.
The gender pay gap may not be something that would do too much harm to Lawrence in her day to day life, but it is mirrored throughout all different income levels and many women are negatively affected by it.
Equal Pay Day – November 9th in 2015 (but slightly different every year) – is a significant date for people who want to raise awareness of the issue as it is considered the day that, on average, women begin effectively working for free until the end of the year.
This is because it is the day that their male colleagues have earned the amount that a woman doing the same job would take until the end of the year to earn.
Bono believes Lawrence was right to use her fame to highlight the issue – out of solidarity to other women rather than whether or not her own life has been made more difficult because of it.
He said: “Gender equality is at the centre of any movement that holds fairness, freedom and justice as its core values.
“In Hollywood, Jennifer Lawrence, speaking about how actors are paid. Women have this incredible thing – bond I think you have. More than men. Women [have a] great sense of solidarity.”
While Lawrence’s wealth may make it difficult for some to relate to her problem, her comments about the difference in both the expectations of men and women, and the way they can be treated is something will hit home with many people.
She told Lena Dunham’s website, Lenny: “It’s hard for me to speak about my experience as a working woman because I can safely say my problems aren’t exactly relatable.
“I’m over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likable! F**k that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard.
“Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves.
“If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share.”
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Bono praises Jennifer Lawrence for highlighting gender pay gap
