Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Elizabeth Banksis speaking candidly about overcoming obstacles as a woman in Hollywood.
“I love jumping over that low bar,” thePitch Perfectstar says laughing. “It is always exciting.”
“I’ve been in a few rooms where I could sense that my opinion was just not valued,” Banks continues. “And so really, what I spent my time doing, is finding those opportunities and creating those opportunities and those rooms where my voice matters.
“It’s not always easy, but when it is accomplished is when I feel the most proud.”
Elizabeth Banks.Rachel Murray/Getty
“Sometimes you end up in situations where you just know it doesn’t feel right and you’re not supported,” she says. “And it’s really best to just be able to say no, when you can.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
But, as Banks notes, being able to say no doesn’t always come easy. “Being able to say no is actually something women have a hard time doing too,” she says. “I think our culture creates a real idea that we have to always be pleasing other people.”
TheCharlies Angelsdirector says she has worked on that, adding, “I’ve been trying to be better in the last few years about saying no to the people and the opportunities that I don’t feel really have my best interests at heart … and I’m really actually trying to put myself first in my career.”
RELATED VIDEO: Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan
“I love the idea of celebrating women’s accomplishments, especially in such a challenging year,” Banks tells PEOPLE. “I think to be ending the end of 2020 talking about the good things that have happened and being grateful for some of the amazing things that 2020 brought, despite all of the other terrible things that have happened this year, is a nice way to end the year in gratitude and celebration.”
Elizabeth Banks/ twitter
And Banks says that this partnership is “all about equality of opportunity for women,” which is so important to her.
“We talk a lot about all the amazing strides that women are making — and they are incredible — but it’s nearly 2021 and women, they’re not on equal footing in terms of economic power and economic opportunity,” she shares. “And I think that’s what’s so great about this particular campaign, because the IFundWomen initiative is really about giving more opportunities to women with financial backing to achieve their goals.”
She adds: “We can’t just talk about how great ladies are, we got to put our money where our mouth is. We have to give women more economic power in our society.”
source: people.com
