#TimesUp

“She lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is up.” – Oprah Winfrey, Acceptance Speech for Cecil B. DeMill Award

In the days leading up to the 2018 Golden Globe Award show, my Facebook and Instagram feeds were flooded with long letters cut through by the words “Dear Sister” and calls asking people to wear all black. At first, I didn’t think much of it and dismissed it as just another piece of political commentary. After a day or so of noticing these letters, I decided to investigate a bit more. Upon reading the letter, I realized that it was a response to the recent wave of sexual assaults that have been coming out in the media.

Ever since Donald Trump’s election, women have begun to speak out about their experiences being sexually harassed in order to make sure that women and girls know that, despite the president’s actions, sexual harassment is not okay. Allegations of assault in the workplace by well-known men, including news anchors and politicians, have been increasingly taking over headlines. The number of articles written about different offenders and what they were doing to cover up their actions is overwhelming.

According to a Cosmopolitan of 2,235 full and part-time female employees done in 2015, 1 in 3 women ages 18 to 34 have been sexually harassed at work.

Furthermore, 71% of those women said they did not report it.

Why?

Fear of losing their jobs, fear of not being taken seriously, fear of the men in power, fear of having all the work they put into getting to where they are be erased.

Ultimately, not knowing that one in three of their female co-workers have experienced the same thing, or not knowing that there is a community of women willing to listen, or not knowing that being vocal about sexual harassment is only hurting them and other women in the long run is what causes 71% of these cases of sexual harassment to go unreported. It is also what causes women to not know that they have been sexually harassed.

The letter of Solidarity went viral this New Year’s Day and is a reminder that women have to support each other. The letter is a commitment by hundreds of powerful women in the entertainment industry to both hold their own workplace accountable for injustices toward women and to support women from all work places when they are treated differently from a man. This is the support that is necessary to get women to be vocal about their experiences and to make men aware that women are not going to stand for it anymore.

“We stand with you. We support you.” – Letter of Solidarity

The systemic inequality that is addressed in the letter is embodied in the organization created along with it called Time’s Up. It is a support network with the goal of creating change towards gender equality in the workplace NOW. They encourage women to speak up against sexual assaults and other injustices in their workplaces and help subsidize legal support for them.

Using their large social media platforms, women who work in film, television and theater, shared this Letter of Solidarity and quickly made it go viral. To continue the advocating against sexual harassment in the workplace, celebrities announced that they would wear black to the Golden Globes in order to be in solidarity with victims.

“Instead of asking us who we’re wearing, they’ll ask us why we’re wearing black. We’re using that platform and using our voices to say we can change this ideology, and shatter the sexism that teaches men that women are less.” – Eva Longoria

The activism at the Golden Globes extended beyond their color choices and into acceptance speeches, which were being heard by millions of Americans. This gave me hope. It gave me hope that I won’t be another statistic or silenced by fear or be treated differently because of my gender. It showed me the impact women can make if they are unified and work together. Black dresses and speeches are just the start. Change comes from within, and I am confident that women around the world are going to begin to take initiative and realize that the time to act is now.

To get more information about sexual assault in the workplace and the Time’s Up organization, click here !