Pharrell Williams Says Everything You're Thinking About Gender Equality

Historically speaking, being female is tough: Gender equality is, sadly, a very slow-growing movement (women still earn only 80 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. And it's even harder for women of color. The feminist movement of the early 1900s generally focused on improving conditions for white women, and it wasn't until the Civil Rights Movement in the '60s that women of color were granted rights equal to their white female counterparts. For women of color, the game is—and always has been—unfairly rigged.

Fox's new film, "Hidden Figures," explores this reality, telling—for the first time— the (true) story of the three female African-American mathematicians who helped make astronaut John Glenn's 1962 orbit around the Earth possible. Though their calculations and contributions were integral to the mission, NASA neglected to give Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson credit for their role in history—until now (a little late, guys!) In a recent roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, singer/rapper Pharrell Williams (who composed music for the film) spoke candidly of women's role in the historical space mission, insisting they should have been credited for their contributions from the start. We knew we loved him.

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More on women's equality:

1. How Julia Roberts Really Feels About Gender Equality in Hollywood
2. Mila Kunis Just Spoke Out Against Sexism in the Workplace With a Powerful Personal Essay
3. 15 Celebrities Who Fought Back Against Body Shaming

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"This is a story that's been around this entire time," said Pharrell Williams. "These women were victims of error and circumstance. We look back in history, and women's contribution to any kind of advancement was always discounted, dismissed or overlooked, erased, not acknowledged." The "Happy" singer hopes the film will give viewers insight on the complicated nature of gender-based oppression, and help to eliminate this inequality once and for all.

"We can no longer deny that women are treated the way they are," he said. "I think that this film will be one of many instrumental tools to help change not only America's mind, but the world's mind."

And as a multiracial woman, I say to that: It's about damn time. "Hidden Figures" hits theaters nationwide Christmas Day. You can watch the trailer here.

Now, watch the complete history of lipstick from 3000 BC to today: