Photo by the International Labor Rights Forum.
Stories of sexual harassment and violence on movie sets and in newsrooms continue to dominate media cycles. Following a stunning 80 women coming forward to accuse former movie producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual violence, survivors in entertainment, journalism and even US Congress have begun to share their experiences and the names of industry predators. By now, it follows a familiar pattern: first one person comes forward, followed by a second, then a seemingly endless onslaught of stories come out. Celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan have come forward with their own testimonies of rape and harassment. Social media is flooded with accounts from people who had experienced sexual assault or harassment, using the hashtag #metoo.
Here’s an indisputable fact: women and other marginalised people face challenges in accessing the right to work free from gender-based violence. This problem is not going away, and, in lieu of a silver bullet solution to dismantle patriarchy in its entirety, it’s going to take a considerable effort – one that includes governments and corporations taking responsibility for protecting workers from gender-based violence in all parts of their supply chains in ways they’ve resisted before.
