Lady Gaga, Natalie Portman, more sign open letter supporting girls' education

In recent months, Hollywood has pulled together to lend a collective voice to social and political issues: Meryl Streep advocated for human decency and anti-bullying at Sunday’s Golden Globes, while Bon Iver launched their 2 A Million gender equity campaign late last year. Now, 81 of their industry peers have signed on to support education for poverty-stricken girls around the world.

Lady Gaga, Danai Gurira, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, and more have signed an open letter drafted by campaigning and advocacy organization ONE aimed at advancing the access to education for more than 130 million girls in various countries.

Addressed to global leaders, the letter touches upon statistics that show women are among those most prominently impacted by a lack of their basic right to better schooling.

“In the poorest countries, girls are denied it more often than boys. Education is vital for moving out of poverty,” the letter reads. “Every additional year of school that a girl completes increases her future earnings, which is good for her family, her community, and her country.”

It continues: “Your education helped you to get where you are today – and it is in your power to help millions of girls to get theirs. Please act now, with the right policies and the necessary funds. Show us that politics can work for the people – starting with the people who need it most.”

Other influential figures who signed the document include Ryan Reynolds, David Oyelowo, Arianna Huffington, Blake Lively, Neil Patrick Harris, Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher, Ashley Judd, Robin Wright, Tom Brady, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and U2 frontman Bono, who co-founded ONE in 2004.

ONE is also giving the general public the opportunity to add their name to the list, which will be delivered to world authorities on March 8, International Women’s Day.