Time's Up: The New Sexual Harassment Campaign Turning Talk Into Action

Some of the most famous Hollywood actresses and 300 other women working in the film, TV and theatre industry have put their names down in support of a new campaign against sexual harassment, and it’s called Time’s Up.

Check out Courtney Act's guide to consent...

Although the campaign is star-studded, faced by actresses like Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria and Emma Stone, it is a campaign for ALL women in ALL industries who are being subjected to sexual harassment at work.

In fact, the campaign includes raising a legal defence fund that will help women who’re in less fortunate jobs by giving them legal protection so that they can speak out about sexual harassment without putting their careers on the line. The initiative will also promote legislation that will come down on companies that do nothing about persistent harassment, and actresses at the Golden Globes who suppport Time's Up will be wearing black on the red carpet, to show solidarity. 

The initiative’s goals also include promoting legislation to penalize companies that tolerate persistent harassment, and to fight against the use of non-disclosure agreements to shield sexual abusers.

Organizers also plan to ask women walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes this year to wear black. 

The campaign's manifesto also makes clear that discrimination among women is on a sliding scale, acknowledging white female privilege and the disproportionate discrimination that bisexual, lesbian and transgender women often face.

There are also some gross statistics, which don’t really come as a surprise after the #MeToo movement revealed just how many women (and men too) have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault. For example, a 2017 NBC News poll showed that almost HALF of working women in the US say they’ve experienced sexual harassment at work.

The campaign also points out how the inbalance of power also often comes from the top, as with more female leaders in all industries comes greater equality.

Loads of celebs have been Tweeting their support for the campaign, as well as donating the big bucks. So much so, that the fund has already surpassed $13 mil. 

The campaign was announced on the 1st January 2018, and shows that women in positions of power and influence are turning the #MeToo discussion of 2017 into real action. Basically, we’re pretty excited about what the year ahead will bring for gender equality.

To read more about the campaign, click here. If you've been sexually harrassed or assaulted and need some advice or someone to talk to, click here.