The Clock Runs Out
A new year shines light upon a new movement. January 1st began with a bang when three hundred prominent women in society wrote a letter of solidarity in the New York Times. The letter expressed the recent unification of women to speak up against sexual harassment. Women from around the country and all forms of employment have joined the new movement to make a stand against the #MeToo scandals that plagued the last few months of 2017.
The initiative sparked in response to the Weinstein effect and the #MeToo social media stories that went viral. Hollywood celebrities ranging from female actresses to entertainment executives, formed an ambitious action to fight the systematic sexual misconduct not only in Hollywood, but nationwide.
The letter published in the New York Times elaborated, “The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly.”
The movement launched from the idea of female CAA agents Maha Dakhil, Michelle Kydd Lee, Hylda Queally, and Christy Haubegger which quickly gained interest from celebrities of the entertainment industry. The 2018 Golden Globes featured all black fashion from actresses as they stood in solidarity and protested abuse and inequality. Many A list actresses and distinguished women in the entertainment business such as Shonda Rhimes, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, Rashida Jones, Oprah Winfrey, Emma Stone, Viola Davis and hundreds more have demonstrated their support and donated to the cause. The campaign has become well funded over such a short period of time as the National Women’s Law Center administrated a $13 million legal defense fund that subsidizes legal support for sexual harassment victims seeking justice in the workplace. Former chief of staff for Michelle Obama, Times Up campaign manager Tina Tchen has since raised over $20 million in donations from 20,000 donors across the country.
The movement’s main purpose has been to initiate a conversation about the persistent harassment and to discourage the use of nondisclosure agreements that silence the victims of these attacks. However, despite the legal support and recognition of many celebrities, numerous people lack respect for the movement and chose not to believe the stories of the victims. The people skeptical of it consider that the nationwide movement is taking advantage of the media and twisting it unfairly. They criticize the women for “making up” tragic stories and refuse to listen. Sure, it is possible that some statements of sexual assault and accusations against powerful men may be feigned, but it is also possible for the crimes against these women to be true. Access to social media has the potential to prompt real accountability and repercussions. It is underestimated what a great deal of courage it takes to cry out for help, knowing the backlash will follow shortly after. These survivors of sexual harassment deserve sympathy after what they have gone through, not hate and isolation. Whether the consequence entails losing respect from peers or losing their job, the aftermath can be damaging.
The imbalance of power previously sealed victim’s mouths shut until now, during a time where they feel accepted. Advocates decided to fight for change in 2017 and set the plan in motion into the new year. The Times Up initiative needs to be supported by both men and women to lift a change off the ground. This is not a movement to make women superior to men, but a movement for women’s rights and feel secure in their environment. Society has pushed the cry of these women to the side while workplace inequality has flourished until now, powerful women and men are fighting to make a change and will be heard.