Actress Salma Hayek says the #MeToo movement has led to unprecedented progress in demanding respect for women in the workplace, but that change needs to be reflected in their paycheques.

When she started working in Hollywood, Hayek said talking about issues of representation of women and minorities was so frowned upon, it could hurt your reputation in the industry.

But now, she said, these once-taboo topics are the talk of the town, and itB次元官网网址檚 translating into change on- and off-screen.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a privilege to have had such a long career where you start in a situation where many dreams seem impossible personally, and also, for an industry to change in the direction,B次元官网网址� Hayek said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival.

B次元官网网址淎nd to be able to stay in it long enough to see the transformation, how itB次元官网网址檚 changed for the minorities, how itB次元官网网址檚 changing for women, itB次元官网网址檚 very exciting.B次元官网网址�

Hayek said there are more strong roles for women than ever before, like the take-no-prisoners Wall Street warrior she plays in B次元官网网址淭he Hummingbird Project,B次元官网网址� which premiered at the TIFF on Saturday, and women are also gaining power behind the scenes.

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Hayek said she was initially drawn to B次元官网网址漈he Hummingbird ProjectB次元官网网址� because of her admiration of Montreal-raised director Kim Nguyen, but she was also excited by the opportunity to play a Latin American woman with power in the financial world, particularly one who is an immigrant.

B次元官网网址�(Women) are in the centre of a lot of the stories that were never done before,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think that definitely we are being able to occupy a different space with a different weight in the industry.B次元官网网址�

Hayek credits much of this progress to the chorus of celebrities B次元官网网址� herself among them B次元官网网址� who have spoken out about the widespread mistreatment of women in Hollywood.

Last December, Hayek penned an op-ed in the New York Times alleging she was repeatedly sexually harassed by former film mogul Harvey Weinstein, which his lawyers responded to with a full denial.

Hayek said she thinks the next frontier will be stars using their spotlight to call for equal pay for equal work between men and women in all professions.

B次元官网网址淭he fact that the women in the film industry have been so outspoken about the respect towards women, it really has had a ripple effect like never before, in all the other industries,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚 think that if we make an example, also, in the equality of pay, because we are seen everywhere, you know. It just gets into everybodyB次元官网网址檚 brain that this is what is correct to do.B次元官网网址�

While she takes heart in the strides Hollywood has made towards equality, Hayek said she longs for the day when they wonB次元官网网址檛 be so noteworthy.

B次元官网网址淚 kind of cannot wait for the moment when no one talks about it anymore, because itB次元官网网址檚 become normality.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Press

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