Equality Now’s 20th Anniversary: Who’s The Only Person Who Can Fill In For Meryl Streep And Leave No One Disappointed?

Meryl Streep. The holy one. The goddess. She’s irreplaceable. Or is she? Last night, the Oscar winner was slated to speak at women’s advocacy group Equality Now’s 20th anniversary bash but couldn’t make it. But her “understudy,” as it were, was a testament not only to Equality Now’s cachet — but to the fact that someone can actually step in for Meryl Streep and leave no one disappointed. A feat few probably thought was possible.

So — who was this mystery woman?

Vanessa Redgrave. Hot dang.

The (also Oscar-winning actress) Redgrave gave the keynote address at the last minute, according to a spokesperson for Equality Now, an organization dedicated to supporting women’s rights across the globe.

The symbolic anniversary — 20 years after 1992, the so-called “year of women” — is likely lost on no one, particularly with the resurgence of debate over women’s reproductive rights in the U.S. political sphere.

Now, after two decades in operation, Equality Now’s Global Director Yasmeen Hassan reiterated exactly why her group matters:

“Gender equality benefits everyone and we look forward to celebrating the impact Equality Now has made since 1992. However we also want to take this time to acknowledge the extensive amount of work still left to do to create a better and safer world for women and girls.”

Congrats, to Equality Now.

Image courtesy of Equality Now, by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.

TAGS: equality now | vanessa redgrave | yasmeen hassan

• 7 Ridiculous Kitchen Gadgets That You Don't Need
• 4 Most Travel Friendly Headphones
• 7 Smart Shopping Tips for Big-Ticket Buys
• How to Handle Aggressive Emails at Work