I was paid less than male counterparts: Emma Thompson

British actress Emma Thompson. AFP file photo

Emma Thompson says she was always paid less than her male colleagues.

The 59-year-old actor-writer said women are still treated as "second-class citizens".

She also advocated publishing salaries to reveal the gender pay gap.

"I was always paid less than my male counterparts. Publishing figures is the first step.

"It's a forensic way of looking at how women are second-class citizens, and I appreciate that because it's not emotional. This is the fact: this person does the same work for less money, and that's just wrong," Thompson told Good Housekeeping magazine.

The Oscar-winning star urged women to be financially independent.

"Earn your own living and keep your own money. It's your cash and you should always decide what to do with it," she said.