When it comes to wanting equal pay, Venus Williams isn't playing games.
Although the professional tennis player keeps her eyes on the ball while competing, Venus knows a much larger project off the court deserves so much attention. With March 15 marking Equal Pay Day, the 41-year-old athlete is using her voice to bring about change.
"The #PrivilegeTax movement is what we've coined as this real data that shows that women only make 82 cents for every dollar that men make and it's a serious problem," Venus exclusively shared with E! News. "I'm very passionate about it because this happened to me."
When she arrived to the Grand Slams before she was 18, Venus said she found out she wasn't being paid equal to the men competing. The realization was a "hard blow" and something she doesn't want other young women to experience.
"I'm very excited to be partnering with many companies to close this gap, to raise awareness, to raise money at a grassroots level and also partner with Credit Karma who has made this happen within their organization in the last few years," Venus continued. "I want to make sure that this gap has been closed."
When Venus thinks of the next generation of women, including her 4-year-old niece Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., she hopes for a world where they don't have to question their worth or value.
By the time Serena Williams' young daughter comes of age, there should be an expectation that men and women are on equal playing fields on and off the tennis court, Venus said.
"I hope that by the time she enters the workforce in whichever capacity, hopefully as a tennis player, she will not have to experience that inequity," she said. "I don't want it to be 200 or 300 years before that gap closes. I want it to happen within my lifetime. I want it to happen in time for my niece so she can focus on being her best person, instead of having to worry about her gender."
The Olympic athlete isn't just talking the talk—she's walking the walk. At her lifestyle brand company titled EleVen, Venus hopes members of her team pursue their best selves while also helping others.
"My best moments are when I'm having the opportunity to give or share my information or mentor other people," she said. "It is so rewarding. That's a part of living the biggest dream."
And if women find themselves in a situation where they discover their male counterpart is making more money for the same exact job and work, Venus says they can't stay silent. Instead, she urges them to "speak up."
"You have to ask for your value," she said before sharing why companies have to do their part as well. "Organizations need to do a deep dive to find any discrepancies in pay and managers need to understand their own gender bias in decision making and be educated on these topics. It's something that doesn't happen overnight and that's why I'm talking about this today."