“We’re still far away”: Julianne Moore’s Cannes warning puts global gender inequality back in spotlight

Oscar-winning actor Julianne Moore has said true gender equality remains “far away” across much of the world, warning at the Cannes Film Festival that inequality in cinema reflects a much deeper global problem.

WEBDESK – MediaBites News

Julianne Moore said genuine gender equality remains distant both inside and outside the film industry as she accepted an award honoring her advocacy for women in cinema during the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.

Speaking at the Women in Motion event overlooking Cannes’ famous coastline, Moore stressed that inequality is not limited to Hollywood but remains a worldwide issue affecting women across industries and societies.

“We’re pretty far away, honestly, in lots of the world in terms of real gender equality,” Moore told Reuters during the event.

“It’s not something that is endemic to the film industry. It’s something that’s a global issue,” she added.

The event brought together several major international stars, including Salma Hayek, Sebastian Stan, Colman Domingo, and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Moore received recognition for her long-running efforts to promote women’s representation in cinema and for consistently speaking out on social and political issues affecting women.

The actress, who won an Academy Award for her role in Still Alice, has frequently used her international platform to advocate for equal opportunities for women both in front of and behind the camera.

During the ceremony, Hayek praised Moore as “consistently brilliant for decades” and described her as “an inspiration.”

The Women in Motion initiative, launched in 2015 by luxury group Kering, also awarded emerging Italian filmmaker Margherita Spampinato a €50,000 prize to support her second feature film project.

Moore also addressed the slow pace of change in the entertainment industry during another Cannes appearance on Saturday, comparing the struggle for female representation to “a mouse getting through a wall.”

“One bite at a time. You do it slowly, steadily, mindfully,” she said. “Making choices, speaking up, using your privilege, hiring more.”

Her remarks come as debates continue globally over gender pay gaps, representation, leadership opportunities, and equal treatment for women in film, television, and major entertainment institutions.

Despite years of public campaigns and industry reforms following movements such as #MeToo, critics argue that meaningful structural equality in cinema and beyond remains far from achieved.