Reese Witherspoon [1] has made it her mission to empower women, not just in Hollywood, but all over the globe. The actress recently joined forces with Eva Longoria [2], Laura Dern, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington [3], Gina Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson [4], and Emma Stone [5] to spearhead the Time's Up initiative [6] to fight against sexual harassment in the industry. She has also been shaking things up by calling on women to stand together and fight for each other's rights. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Take a look at all the ways Reese is using her platform to lift women up.
Time's Up Initiative
Reese is just one of the many women behind the movement, which aims to combat workplace sexual harassment [7] and assault across industries. "There's moments that you have to evaluate whether silence is going to be your only option," Reese said during an appearance on CBS's Sunday Morning [8] in January. "We have resources, but women who are workers in this country have nothing to gain in certain times by coming forward. But we want to help. It gives me strength to hopefully help other women."
Powerful Speeches
After being named WSJ. Magazine's entertainment innovator of the year in 2017, Reese delivered a moving speech at the ceremony, outlining the issues women are facing today in the entertainment industry. "We've been dealing with some really ugly truth of sexism and sexual harassment, and it has been rampant for far longer than I have been an actress, and it's brought back a lot of painful memories for people," she said. "I love being an actor, but now it's become abundantly clear to me that I have a new mission and that's to do more for others in my industry."
Motivational Quotes
If you follow Reese, then you're probably familiar with her weekly motivational quotes [9]. With messages like, "The way you speak to yourself matters" and "How do you stop a determined woman? You can't," it's hard not to feel inspired.
Draper James Clothing Line
Reese's clothing line donates a portion of its sales [10] to Girls, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to inspiring and empowering young women [11]. "When I started Draper James, it was so important for me to give back to women who are entrepreneurial," Reese said in the September 2015 issue of Women's Health. "Girls, Inc. has created incredible programs all over the US that empower women economically."
Birthday Shoutouts
If you're friends with Reese, we can almost guarantee that you'll get a sweet Instagram message from her on your birthday. But Reese's shoutouts aren't your generic, boring messages, no. Reese's messages will not only make you feel special, but they will lift you up. Just take a look at the one she wrote for Zoë Kravitz back in December.
Hello Sunshine Book Club
Reese created her Hello Sunshine book club [12] to promote books mostly written by women [13] and to encourage women to "be storytellers in all kinds of mediums [14]." In fact, she had to fight hard to adapt Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Cheryl Strayed's Wild into film. "It took me three successful productions to be considered a real player in the producer game," Reese previously told Glamour. "I can tell that I'm considered a player now because of the respect I get from studio heads. They call me back quicker and give me thoughtful responses when I pitch ideas. It has been quite a shift for me."