Sophia Bush thinks women "shouldn’t have to work so hard" to feel equal to men.
The 35-year-old actress has slammed the "unacceptable" treatment of women in the wake of the scandal surrounding disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein – who stands accused of sexually harassing over 40 women in a 30-year period – and says she gets "frustrated" at the inequality women face every day.
She said: "Even in ‘advanced’ countries, women are ignored, passed over, mistreated and subjugated at rates that are unacceptable. It’s impossible not to feel frustrated when you look at the data that shows us this unfortunate reality. And until those numbers change, I’ll be rallying around, and for, women. We shouldn’t have to work so hard just to get to the starting line. The starting line should be the same for all of us."
And the ‘John Tucker Must Die’ actress also believes women should "stand up" for other women and "believe" one another, as she thinks the words "me too" are crucial in helping women stand together.
Speaking to People magazine, she added: "[The words ‘me too’ are] the two most powerful words in the English language. If we can use them as a bridge to join hands with other women and create authentic support systems for one another, we can do anything. Being there for other women. Believing other women. Standing up for other women. Showing up for other women. It starts there."
Recently, Sophia Bush joined the "#MeToo" movement on Twitter, in which actress Alyssa Milano asked women who had been sexually harassed to reply to her tweet with the words "me too".
Sophia, alongside Debra Messing, Lady Gaga, and Gabrielle Union was amongst some of the stars who got involved with the conversation, with thousands of others sharing their stories across social media.
In the wake of the allegations surrounding Weinstein, 65, the producer has been fired from his position as co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, and his wife Georgina Chapman has left him.