Yahoo Lifestyle Salma Hayek On The 'Crazy' Pressure Women Face
Salma Hayek. Photo: Getty Images.
Salma Hayek made headlines last year after claiming she was not a feminist.
But in the months that followed, the actress was quick to amend her statement.
"If men were going through the things women are going through today, I would be fighting for them with just as much passion. I believe in equality," Hayek said at the time.
Today, Hayek has given quite a revealing interview to the Guardian, reiterating the fact that she is indeed a feminist.
"I am a feminist because I love women and I am ready to fight for women," Hayek said. "I am a feminist because I am proud to be a woman, and I am passionate about making the world a better place for women. I am a feminist because a lot of amazing women have made me the woman I am today. I am inspired by women every day, as friends and as colleagues."
Hayek also highlighted the amount of pressure placed on women today, especially in the workplace.
"The amount of pressure on women now, it's crazy. You have to be much better than your male colleagues, just so you can maybe try and get the same salary as them. And you still have to be a good wife and mother. And now you also have to be skinny, and you have to look 20 when you're 40. It's too much. We need to stop with the crazy expectations, give ourselves a break."
Unfortunately, Hayek acknowledges, those crazy expectations are more prominent than ever in the film industry.
"I had studio heads say to me, 'You could have been the biggest star in America, but you were born in the wrong country," Hayek explained. "You can never be a leading lady, because we can't take the risk of you opening your mouth and people thinking of their maids."
Luckily, Hayek has had the last laugh: “And they said I wouldn’t be working after 35! Ha.”
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