Movement spans all industries and countries, as signatories exhort people to use their own platforms for change
The UK Justice and Equality Fund, a movement which helps prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, just got a £1 million boost from British actress Emma Watson.
Watson joined her fellow British stars in signing a new open letter from the #TimesUp movement ahead of the Bafta awards Sunday night.
“This movement is bigger than just a change in our industry alone,” read part of the open letter signed by the stars, published in The Observer.
The statement talked about harassment, discrimination and abuse in workplaces across industries and countries.
“This movement is intersectional, with conversations across race, class, community, ability and work environment, to talk about the imbalance of power,” it continued.
“Everyone can make a difference by using your platform, your voice and your power as a changemaker,” the letter said.
“Finally, we are talking to each other, talking to our employers, our unions, our male allies and challenging our perpetrators and their enablers. Where there was isolation and silence in the film industry there is now connection and voice.”
Following the donation, Watson told The Observer: “It’s easy to dismiss harassment and abuse as being caused by ‘one or two really, really bad men’ but the UK statistics point to a much bigger and more structural problem. This issue is systemic, as opposed to individual, one-off events.”
Other actresses who have donated include Emma Thompson and Kiera Knightly.
The issues around pay disparity in the UK have dominated headlines of late; however, one controversial study published last year suggested women are partly to blame for the gap. Read more here.
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