March 29, 2024

Eva Longoria on Time’s Up, Hiring Women, and Raising Her Son to Be a Feminist

Eva Longoria seems to have done it all. Not only is she a successful actress, well known for her many TV and movie appearances, but also a new mom, designer, producer, and philanthropist.

Eva has used her platform to draw attention to causes like Time’s Up, and inspire young women interested in STEM to pursue their dream careers through the Eva Longoria Foundation.

We chatted with Eva at the Teen Vogue Summit about her favorite piece of jewelry, how she gives back, and why it’s important for her to empower young Latina women.

POPSUGAR: You must be so proud of what Time’s Up has done. What’s next for this organization, and how will you continue to pay it forward and support women?

EL: I’m so excited about Time’s Up. We’re coming up on our one-year anniversary, and what this movement means is “Time’s up on inequality” for women in the workforce across all industries, not just Hollywood. We’ve had tremendous success with restaurant workers, hotel workers, domestic workers, and of course our industry. For me personally, I am a director and a producer, so any time I have the opportunity to hire women, I do. I have a photoshoot tomorrow, and they sent me a list of 5 male photographers and said “pick your favorite”. And I responded, “Well, I’d love to see a list of female photographers”. They didn’t even think to present that – even though female photographers exist! So, I insisted on getting female photographer. There are so many ways we can always make a difference, and you have to view work with that lens, and employ people of color and women.

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 01: Eva Longoria attends The Teen Vogue Summit 2018 at 72andSunny on December 1, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)

“There are so many ways we can always make a difference, and you have to view work with that lens, and employ people of color and women. ”

PS: You’ve said you wanted to raise your son, Santiago, to be a feminist. What does that mean and how can other moms do the same?

EL: Sometimes, feminism is overanalyzed and explained, and what it truly means is equality. So yes, I would love for my son Santiago to think that women are equal to men – that’s very basic, and that’s what feminism means to me. I want him to understand that women should have the same opportunities as men.

PS: Could you share a bit more about the Eva Longoria Foundation?

EL: I come from a very philanthropic family, and so I’ve always wanted to be involved – that’s actually where I spend the majority of my time now. My foundation focuses on improving the lives of young Latina girls in my community through educational and entrepreneurial programs. We’ve really made such an impact over the last five years: helping over 17,000 kids get a foot up in society.

PS: Last words of advice for young women also wanting to start their own social good organizations?

EL: I would say: learn as much you can, and get in front of people you look up to. Take their advice, and go forward in your way of how you want to conquer the world!

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