Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
With the rise of the MeToo movement, a discussion has opened up about different forms of misogyny and abuse against women. One of these types of misconduct is sexual harassment in the workplace. Major figures in the entertainment, news, and tech industry have been under investigation for claims of sexual misconduct. The issue of sexual harassment in the workplace is nothing new, and there have been many societal attempts at addressing it.
The 1991 case of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas was monumental in this discussion. After an FBI interview with Hill was leaked, she was summoned to testify. Hill detailed the several incidents of inappropriate behavior displayed by Justice Thomas while he was her supervisor at the EEOC and the Department of Education. In the face of intense opposition and victim-blaming, Hill stood her ground, telling the New York Times that she testified truthfully and refused to be silent while Thomas reinvented her.
As more victims come forward about misconduct in the industry, questions have been arising and critiques have been made about the MeToo movement. Reactions have ranged from accusing victims of making false claims to warning women that men are less likely to hire them because of the movement. In an attempt to critique the MeToo movement, life coach Tony Robbins claimed that men have become hesitant to hire women because having them around is too tempting. Many men have expressed that they fear for their careers and reputations, claiming they no longer understand how to appropriately interact with women. These misogynistic reactions to the crusade have had opposing responses, many acknowledging that men are trying to play the victim in a scenario where they hold the majority of social and institutional power; false accusations are incredibly rare.
Anita Hill, an accomplished attorney and academic, shared her thoughts on the MeToo movement and workplace sexual harassment in an interview with Last Week Tonight. She emphasized the importance of acknowledging that the law does not offer enough protection to victims of this kind of misconduct. Additionally, she claims that people must be made aware of how to file a complaint and understand what their rights are in the event that sexual harassment occurs in the workplace. Hill also expressed that men must step up and be part of the cultural shift to put an end to sexual misconduct. She suggested that companies provide bystander training so that employees can be informed enough to help the victim. “There are no innocent bystanders,” she told Last Week Tonight. Hill has stated, “You can fix the women, you can fix the guys, or you can change the culture. If we fix the guys and change the culture, we won’t have to fix the women.” Although Hill remarks that the movement for women’s liberation is progressing at a slow pace, she also feels that there is hope in the air.
