Following the revelations about Harvey Weinstein‘s horrific behavior and the allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against many men in positions of power in Hollywood (and beyond), many people have been wondering what steps can be taken to pull out this toxic behavior from the root to ensure that there is a cultural shift.
Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy suggested back in October that a commission to ensure that “zero-tolerance policies for abusive behavior and a secure, reliable, unimpeachable system in which victims of abuse can report what’s happened to them with a confident expectation that action will be taken, without placing their employment, reputation, and career at risk” would be a way to institute real change, and it seems that she and a host of other top Hollywood execs are following through on that idea.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, two dozen entertainment executives — including Kennedy, Maria Eitel, Nina Shaw, and Freida Kapor Klein — have united to create and fund the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace, and that lawyer and Clarence Thomas whistleblower Anita Hill will chair the endeavor.
Hill, who also serves on the National Women’s Law Center and the Boston Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and previously served as chair of the Human Rights Committee of the International Bar Association, released a statement outlining their goals for the new commission.
“I’m proud to be leading this newly-formed Commission on a long overdue journey to adopt best practices and to create institutional change that fosters a culture of respect and human dignity throughout the industry. We will be focusing on issues ranging from power disparity, equity and fairness, safety, sexual harassment guidelines, education and training, reporting and enforcement, ongoing research and data collection. It is time to end the culture of silence. I’ve been at this work for 26 years. This moment presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make real change.”
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)