(Photo Source: Instagram/michellewilliamsfanofficial)

Equal pay at the Emmys

Equal pay for women was a hot topic in the world of sports this summer, when the U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup amid chants of “Equal Pay.” At the 2019 Emmys, actress Michelle Williams advocated for equal pay in Hollywood.

Williams won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited TV Series or Movie for her role in “Fosse/Verdon.” During her acceptance speech, she didn’t hesitate to get political and let her feminist side shine.

“I see this as an acknowledgment of what is possible when a woman is trusted and feels safe enough to voice her needs and respected enough to be heard,” Williams said. “My bosses never presumed to know better than I did about what I needed in order to do my job and honor Gwen Verdon. Thank you so much to FX and Fox 21 studios for supporting me and paying me equally, because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value. Where do they put that value? They put it into their work.”

Williams called for Hollywood big shots to listen to women when they negotiate for more money.

“The next time a woman, and especially a woman of color, because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white male counterparts, tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her, believe her, because one day she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment — and not in spite of it,” Williams said.

The 2019 Emmys will be airing on Fox network on September 22 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.