Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Other Influential Women Sign Letter Declaring, “Poverty Is Sexist”
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Eric McCandless/CBSBeyoncé, Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron and Lady Gaga have joined a number of business leaders and activists in calling on two world leaders to help empower women and end extreme poverty.
The stars signed a letter from the international campaigning and advocacy organization ONE, co-founded by U2 singer Bono, calling on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Africa’s Minister of Health Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to lead the way on the issues. Germany and South Africa are hosting summits this June that will address women’s empowerment.
The letter, the release of which coincided with International Women’s Day on Sunday, states, “Put simply, poverty is sexist, and we won’t end it unless we face up to the fact that girls and women get a raw deal, and until leaders and citizens around the world work together for real change. Because when we deliver for girls and women, we deliver for everyone.”
It adds, “If we get this right, we could help lift every girl and woman out of poverty by 2030 – and by doing so we will lift everyone. Get this wrong and extreme poverty, inequality and instability might spread in the most vulnerable regions, impacting all our futures.”
Thirty-six influential women in all have signed the letter, including Gone Girl‘s Rosamund Pike, actress Rita Wilson, comedian Sarah Silverman, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson.
You can endorse the letter by visiting ONE.org.
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