"In the realm of womanhood, one must perpetually serve as their own advocate because we are consistently undermined, underserved, underappreciated, and indeed, underpaid. We must be our own allies," Johansson eloquently expressed during a recent interview with Glamour Magazine.
The acclaimed Black Widow protagonist also shared that her mother inculcated this tenacity in her from a tender age, as her mother herself faced even more severe gender disparities, with pay parity being a pivotal aspect of that struggle.
"Even during my adolescence in the industry—or rather, my young womanhood—my mother would engage in discussions, questioning why certain individuals were not receiving equal compensation," added the actress.
One might posit that the pay disparity between male and female actors is due to male-led films outperforming their female-led counterparts at the box office. However, Scarlett Johansson dismissed this notion, attributing it instead to the insidious influence of s*xism. She recently criticized Marvel Studios, asserting that the portrayal of her character, Natasha Romanoff, in the 2010 film Iron Man 2, reduced her to a mere object of desire.
"Various pretexts, such as 'bankability' and 'box office draw,' are mere veils concealing the true face of s*xism," she candidly revealed to Glamour.
Johansson emphatically contended that such pretexts were unrelated to actual talent and instead exemplified systemic biases against women, where they were deemed less financially viable and less capable of drawing audiences.
Closing her discourse, Johansson asserted that she remains entrenched in an enduring battle to procure remuneration that aligns with her worth.
"The fight persists—it is ceaseless. I am still in the throes of that relentless struggle, as are we all," she declared with undiminished determination.
