Watch Natalie Portman’s Fiery, Passionate Time’s Up Speech At Variety’s ‘Power of Women’ Event
On Friday night, Natalie Portman delivered a fiery, passionate, highly-quotable speech at Variety’s “Power of Women” event, which eloquently summed up the Time’s Up mission statement.
The Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker began by excoriating the men who’ve so far evaded legal punishment for their alleged crimes.
“Our legal system and our culture protects the perpetrators of sexual violence, not its victims,” Portman said. She also singled out Harvey Weinstein.
Portman then debunked the theory about why women so rarely hold positions of power in most industries. She said she’d always believed that it was because many of them embraced motherhood, but she no longer believes that. She points to all the other workforces — including the service industry or the hair and make-up departments on Hollywood movie sets — where long and trying hours don’t dissuade women trying to care for their children.
“Let’s stop saying women chose to drop out of the workforce because of their families. That’s wrong,” Portman added.
She then offered another theory to explain the gender gap. “The reason women in nearly every industry are not represented in powerful positions is because women are being discriminated against or retaliated against for hiring and for promotion,” she said. “When they do get these jobs, they’re often being harassed and assaulted, and they’re being paid less than their male counterparts. All of which coerce self-preserving women into finding safer options for themselves and different ways to feel valued.”
She also asked people to think twice when a man in power tries to smear one of their female employees. “Stop the rhetoric that a woman is crazy or difficult,” Portman said. “If a man says to you that a woman is crazy or difficult, ask him, ‘What bad thing did you do to her?’”
Portman also asked everyone in attendance — and perhaps anyone watching video of her speech — to stop perpetuating the notion of women being abused.
Portman’s speech has been rapturously received by social media.
We stan Natalie Portman
She is making sure to bring attention not just to white straight women but to all women who suffer from different types of oppression pic.twitter.com/YMDLTRy3PD
— Hannah, Nia Nal stan (@shipperofstuff) October 13, 2018
Natalie Portman from @Variety power women's lunch
“Many men are behaving like we live in a zero-sum game. That if women get the respect, access and value we deserve, they will lose." pic.twitter.com/3MS0xlvbhT— Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) October 13, 2018
This is how we women of the entertainment industry can help each other. We done and well said Natalie Portman. 👏👏👏👏 https://t.co/g8RUcaqVh8
— Sharifah Amani (@sharifahamani) October 14, 2018
(Excerpt) Read More at: UPROXX.com
