Gender Equality 'Isn't a Reality Yet' - Beyonce

Beyonce Knowles has written an essay on gender equality in which she calls for actions in regards to equal payment in the workforce. The piece, which is featured on Maria Shriver's "Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink", is entitled "Gender Equality Is a Myth!".

"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn't a reality yet," Beyonce wrote. "Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change."

"Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more - commensurate with their

qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect," she continued, encouraging people to teach young boys gender equality and girls to dream higher.

"We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities," she concluded.

In addition to Beyonce, other celebrities contributed to the special report. Eva Longoria wrote an essay entitled "Empowering Latinas" while LeBron James penned "America's Working Single Mothers: An Appreciation". "Human Trafficking and Slavery in the United States: 'You Don't See the Chains' " was written by Jada Pinkett Smith. Jennifer Garner contributed to the report with an essay called "Turning Poverty Around: Training Parents to Help Their Kids". Besides the essays written by celebrities, the report features pieces by experts and other public figures.

The "Shriver Report" is published by Shriver alongside the Center for American Progress. It is available for free download until January 15.