Many of us know of Salma Hayek as a famous Mexican actress with many roles and movies, from her Hollywood breakthrough Desperado to her Academy Award nomination for her role in Frida. But apart from her incredible talents as an actress, director, and producer, Hayek has dedicated the better part of her life to activism, particularly to fighting domestic violence against women.
Hayek was born in Veracruz, Mexico to a Spanish mother and Lebanese Father. She lived with her aunt in Houston, Texas during her teenage years, and dropped out from university in Mexico City to pursue a career in acting, which eventually led her telenovela stardom.
In 1991, Hayek moved to Los Angeles, California to become a Hollywood actress. Initially dismissed for sounding like a “Mexican maid,” Hayek soon had her breakthrough in the 1995 Desperado alongside Antonio Banderas. In 2002, she became the first Latina to be nominated for the Academy Award of best actress.
And while becoming a Hollywood star, Hayek has simultaneously been using her voice as a passionate activist and philanthropist. In 2004, she persuaded the Avon Foundation to launch the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program, which included the first ever Spanish-language domestic violence hotline.
A year later, she testified before the U.S. Senate in support of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. “It is imperative that we continue to provide public outreach and education—to the many cultures and communities that flourish in the United States—in their own languages and in ways that are respectful of the worlds they inhabit. We need to make sure that law enforcement and the courts hold every single perpetrator of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking accountable for their crimes,” she said during her testimony.
In 2013, Hayek partnered with Gucci and singer Beyoncé to launch the Chime for Change initiative and fund organizations fighting domestic violence throughout the world. The campaigned has raised $17 million and supported projects in 89 countries, benefitting over half a million girls and women worldwide.
The same year, Hayek was honored with the Medallion of Excellence by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, dedicating her award to immigrants who have “risked their lives in order to search for a brighter future” and to undocumented Dreamers brought to the United States as children.
Hayek became one of the many survivors to come forth in the #MeToo movement in 2017, sharing her story of sexual harassment in the New York Times piece titled “Harvey Weinstein is my monster too.”
“I hope that adding my voice to the chorus of those who are finally speaking out will shed light on why it is so difficult, and why so many of us have waited so long. Men sexually harassed because they could. Women are talking today because, in this new era, we finally can,” she wrote.
Most recently, Hayek has dedicated herself to fighting the surge of domestic violence amid the coronavirus pandemic (more on this here). In May of this year, she launched the #StandWithWomen campaign through the Chime for Change initiative and in partnership with the Kering Foundation, which combats domestic violence throughout the world, under the chairmanship of Hayek’s husband François-Henri Pinault.
“We retreat into our homes to protect ourselves from the threat of COVID-19, but what if our home was a threat itself?,” Hayek said.
Photo: Getty Images