Equality
Photo courtesy of Hispanicize

It’s  National Women’s Equality Day – a day we celebrate the granting of women full and equal voting rights that happened in 1920. Although we’re constantly fighting for more equality, it’s a special opportunity to commemorate being allowed to vote.

However, like many other historical and ongoing issues, our work isn’t done. For instance, did you know that reports show Latinas earn $0.57 for every dollar paid to White/ non-Hispanic men? There’s so much work left to be done from every angle when it comes to reaching a fair balance – especially for women of color.

Luckily, for every narrow-minded person out there making it impossible to be a Latina professional, there’s also endless support from empowering Latinas with huge platforms that advocate for equality.

Here are five Latina celebrities known to stand their ground for gender equality.

Jessica Alba

The third-generation Mexican-American, is public about fighting for gender equality. “As a mama of two daughters, I am constantly fighting to leave this world better than I found it – not only for them but for every single person in the world and for the next generations of girls to come. Like all mothers, I want to #breakthebias so my children can have the opportunity to chase their dreams regardless of their gender,” Alba wrote on an Instagram post last International Women’s Day.

“Gender bias is a real thing and is a systemic issue. For change to happen, we all need to unite and take dedicated steps in fighting for women’s equality. On a global scale, this is an even more monumental problem, and there is still so much work to be done.”

Salma Hayek

The high-profile Mexican actress also used International Women’s Day to make a statement about equality. On an Instagram post, she wore a Gucci t-shirt that read, “None of us can move forward if half of us are held back.” This t-shirt was a part of a campaign that aimed to “convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for gender equality.”

Eva Longoria

Longoria’s been involved in an abundance of Latina empowering organizations. Most recently, she was involved in a STEM-related project that supported young Latinas in the field. She partnered up with ‘Powered by Her,’ a scholarship program that “gives young women in under-resourced communities access to education. The funds you donate will help remove the barriers that keep women and girls from obtaining equal access to resources and opportunities in STEM.” With this, she supports the fact that gender equality is needed in all professional fields – including STEM.

Jennifer Lopez

J.Lo is all about gender equality, especially after having twins. “I want my twins standing side by side, and I want them looking at a landscape that has the same opportunity for both of them,” she previously said. “That the world is as much of an oyster for Emme as it is for Max.” Per Elle, she’s even served as a global advocate for women and girls at the U.N. Foundation. How’s that for advocating?

Zoe Saldana

Saldana’s one to speak out about racism and gender equality in the film industry. In a previous interview, she said: “There are very few women on the crew. You hardly ever get to work with a female director. Some female producers try to blend in with their male colleagues and won’t stand up to them. You’re completely outnumbered. And you take a hit in your paycheck as a woman too. I’m so f-cking tired of it.”
Because of this imbalance, she created Cinestar Pictures to develop more projects for female and Latino audiences. Furthermore, it’s “committed to ‘honest portrayals’ of women and accurate representations of American society,” per Variety.