Jennifer Lawrence & Angelina Jolie address abuse of women at power breakfast

Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie called on women to rally against abuse during The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 event on Wednesday (06Dec17).

The 25th annual Women in Entertainment breakfast was held at Milk Studios in Los Angeles and coincided with the release of the publication's Women in Entertainment: Power 100 list.

The star-studded gathering came as a wave of sexual harassment allegations loom over powerful men in the entertainment industry, including film mogul Harvey Weinstein, filmmakers Brett Ratner and James Toback, and TV host Matt Lauer.

Lawrence, who was presented with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award - given to a woman considered a pioneer in her field, used her time on stage to address inappropriate conduct against women.

"This last year has been a challenging and trying time in our world, and our industry specifically,"s the actress said. "Every day, we wake up to a myriad of headlines that deeply impact us, from around the globe.

"I don't know a woman who hasn't been touched by some sort of abuse," the actress shared. "I'm sad by the women's stories, but I'm excited by the change that's going to come from it. The rule book is being rewritten."

The morning's keynote speaker, Angelina Jolie, also shed light on the fight for equality, noting women have to battle for "the right to think freely and to speak freely".

"It's hard to celebrate our progress while that is still the case," Jolie said. "We have a level of freedom that is unimaginable to women around the world."

She continued, "I pay tribute to all the women who came before us, who pushed the boundaries in their lifetime so that we could be here today."

Justin Timberlake was on hand to present 21 girls selected to be part of The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program, which launched a decade ago and provides winners with $10,000 (GBP7,500) towards the university of their choice.

Prior to making the announcement, Timberlake poked fun at himself as one of few men in attendance: "I'd like to say to all the women - strong, beautiful souls - I'm happy to be here to be your arm candy."

He continued, "To the men in this room, I think we are here because we deserve the opportunity to speak up, to say when something is not right... We are nothing without the strength of women."

Gal Gadot was also in attendance and presented the first-ever Wonder Woman Scholarship, providing the recipient with a full scholarship to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.