The gender pay gap was front and center at this year’s Emmy Awards, thanks to Michelle Williams’ powerful speech about gender equality. We should expect to see this issue raised again throughout award season, particularly as recent research revealed that Hollywood’s gender pay gap is among the highest of any industry, with female stars earning about 25% less than male stars.
But Hollywood isn’t the only social influence in which we’re seeing pay equity take the spotlight; Hasbro recently launched a new version of Monopoly dubbed “Ms. Monopoly,” in which women players earn more than men. However, critics have pointed out that this concept perpetuates the idea that women need an advantage to be equal to men instead of simply being equal—an idea that companies hopefully do not emulate.
