In an excerpt from an essay published Jan. 12 on Maria Shriver’s website, The Shriver Report, singer and actress Beyoncé discusses the roles of both men and women in achieving gender equality, according to CNN.

In the essay, “Gender Equality Is a Myth,” the “Independent Woman” singer writes that we need to “stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet.”

Her piece is part of a larger collection of essays titled “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink,” published in partnership with the Center for American Progress. The report is available to download for free from Shriver’s website until Jan. 15. Beyoncé pens the essay under her legal name, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

“Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters,” she writes. “We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities.”

Beyoncé’s essay references the pay gap between men and women as one glaring example that gender equality has not yet been achieved. Her essay cites that working women “earn 77 percent of what the working man makes.” She believes men — not just women — are responsible for closing this gap. “[U]nless women and men both say this [pay gap] 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.”

The singer has a solution, a suggestion for future generations, “We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life.”

“We have a lot of work to do,” she concludes, “but we can get there if we work together.”

Beyoncé is married to rapper Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter. They have one child, a daughter, Blue Ivy Carter born January 2012. Her most recent album, “Beyoncé,” shocked fans when she released it on Dec. 13, 2013 with no advance notice or marketing.