Cumberbatch Takes on Pay Gap

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has vowed to take on the gender pay gap by refusing to accept work in which female co-stars are not paid equally. The move has been praised by international women’s rights organisations, such as HeForShe, and feminists around the world.

Cumberbatch, of Sherlock and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, fame made the comments in a recent interview with the Radio Times. He said: “Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say, ‘If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it.’”

It comes at a time in which not just everyday jobs out of the spotlight face a gender pay gap issue, but even Hollywood. The latest pay gap scandal came from Netflix’s The Crown in which actor Claire Foy – who was playing the Queen – was paid less than Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip in the series.

Meanwhile, in the ordinary lives of millions of women in Britain, a government-backed release of pay gap figures showed that eight in ten companies in the UK pay women less than men. Construction was amongst the worst industries for a gender pay gap.

We applaud Benedict Cumberbatch’s actions here, not least because they help women, but because they set an example for men. Equality can be achieved, but it can be done much quicker with everyone’s help – including men.