By: Lalarukh
#MeToo is a movement that started circulating through word of mouth, but has taken social media by storm. The originator, activist Tarana Burke, planted the seeds for this movement in 2006, when a young girl shared her experience of sexual harassment, and she realized the need of a safe space, for women and men, to share their stories without fear of judgment. She created this circle of support, this movement to help young women of colour, specifically, who had survived sexual abuse, assault and exploitation.
It quickly transformed into a public conversation which has led to people from all walks of life to come forth, share their stories and demand justice. This movement also sheds light on regressive corporate cultures and the aggressive reform needed in every industry to tilt the scale in favour of victims. Incidents regarding high profile figures such as celebrities, entertainers and politicians have the spotlight in media channels and websites. While this is beneficial for the movement to be taken more seriously, this also results in the sidelining of experiences of ordinary citizens. Research shows that harassment is persistent in all industries, and policy makers need to keep that in mind so as to not underestimate the depth of the situation.
Before going further, let’s look at some statistics presented by Rainn organisation, regarding sexual assault. On average, there are 433,648 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault. Those age 65 and older are 92% less likely than 12-24 year olds to be a victim of rape or sexual assault, and 83% less likely than 25-49 year olds.82% of all juvenile victims are female. 90% of adult rape victims are female. Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. Women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely. About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. 94% of women who are raped experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the two weeks following the rape.13% of women who are raped attempt suicide. Approximately 70% of rape or sexual assault victims experience moderate to severe distress, a larger percentage than for any other violent crime.
Due to the virality of social media, some prominent figures had very public accusations and trials. Starting with the most prominent, Harvey Weinstein, who recently got convicted. An investigation by The New York Times found previously undisclosed allegations against Mr. Weinstein stretching over nearly three decades, documented through interviews with current and former employees and film industry workers, as well as legal records, emails and internal documents from the businesses he has run, Miramax and the Weinstein Company.
Unfortunately, most of the women accepted pay-outs and agreed to confidentiality clauses prohibiting them from speaking about the deals or the events that led to them. Angelina Jolie, Melissa Thompson, Uma Thurman, Laura Madden, Lucia Evans are among the women who have accused him of misconduct.
Another prominent case is that of Bill o Reilly, of Fox News. Fox News and its parent company, 21st Century Fox, had repeatedly stood by him even as he and the company reached settlements with five women who had complained about sexual harassment or other inappropriate behaviour by him. The agreements totalled about $13 million.
Kevin Spacey and Chris Brown are also two public figures that are caught up in this movement. After allegations made by more than 30 different individuals against Kevin Spacey, the two-time Oscar winner now faces a felony sexual assault charge. Chris Brown's record is filled with accusations of domestic violence and aggression toward women. Brown eventually pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault, but more women have come forward with claims of violence since then.
Majority of the focus of this movement has been about sexual harassment, and we have lost focus on the tools needed to ensure that the law is enforced consistently and aggressively. This means having access to the resources necessary to investigate claims fully. It also means improving data collection so that there is better information to assess different rates and trends in claims filings and resolutions by industry, occupation, and other factors.
Coming to my research question, Has the movement made an impact on the economy and policymakers. We need to first look at the policies in place that are discriminatory, specifically in terms of employment and harassment. Federal enforcement agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are essential to ensuring equal employment opportunity. Greater diversity in such roles can help bring different perspectives to the table; increase sensitivity to workers’ diverse experiences; and focus additional attention on the need to combat discriminatory workplace behaviour such as sexual harassment.
As a condition of employment, some job applicants are asked or required to sign agreements that bind them to take any subsequent disputes—including sexual harassment claims—to arbitration. This limits the legal steps they can take to combat harassment. Other new hires may be required to sign nondisclosure agreements that limit their ability to speak publicly about their place of employment, which may effectively discourage or inhibit sexual harassment victims from coming forward. These are an example of the agreements Weinstein made his employees sign, which stopped them from coming forward.
Globally, over 2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men. Of 189 economies assessed in 2018, 104 economies still have laws preventing women from working in specific jobs, 59 economies have no laws on sexual harassment in the workplace, and in 18 economies, husbands can legally prevent their wives from working. The economic costs – a reflection of the human and social costs – to the global economy of discriminatory social institutions and violence against women is estimated to be approximately USD 12 trillion annually.
Research has repeatedly shown that women tend to lead differently. In general, they create more respectful work environments, where harassment is less likely to flourish and where women feel more comfortable reporting it. Female leaders tend to hire and promote more women; pay them more equally; and make companies more profitable. Women bring their life experiences and perspectives to decision-making, and that can help in business because women make the vast majority of purchasing decisions. In government, women have been shown to be more collaborative and bipartisan, and promote more policies supporting women, children and social welfare.
The movement started in US, but has picked up globally. Cases have surfaced in Pakistan, the most highlighted being, Mohsin Abbas Haider versus his estranged wife Fatema Sohail, who recently came to the fore with allegations of domestic violence against the artist. She gave detailed accounts of several violent instances and attached visual evidence of her bruised and battered face.
Another case being that of actress and singer Meesha Shafi, who accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment, the one he has denied vehemently, but many women have come forward with their stories including Zafar. Meesha broke her silence on harassment that she felt at the hands of Ali Zafar and called it an extremely traumatic experience as she faced harassment not during her initial years in industry but as an established artist and a mother of two.
While Zafar has rubbished the allegations, other Pakistani women have come out in support of Meesha.
Thankfully, the movement is not only built up of stories, but has also brought about changes in laws. Some states in the US have restricted nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). Legislators also have cited the #MeToo movement in passing legislation to improve the testing of rape kits and to extend the statute of limitations for victims who want to file civil lawsuits against their abusers. And nearly every legislature in the county has re-examined its own policies for dealing with workplace harassment.
In Washington, state lawmakers approved a package of bills targeting NDAs that cover sexual abuse and harassment, and employers there will no longer be able to require people to sign them as a condition for employment. Existing contracts will be considered void.
Now to consider the economic impact of the exclusion of women from the workplace. Venture capital firms which was a previously male dominated industry that increased their proportion of female partner hires by 10% saw, on average, a 1.5% spike in overall fund returns each year and had 9.7% more profitable exits.
Through its Global Gender Gap Report, the World Economic Forum quantifies gender disparities by country, focusing on four key areas: health, education, economy and politics. It has consistently highlighted the strong correlation between a country’s gender gap and its economic performance.
Such themes are also echoed in McKinsey’s “Delivering through diversity” report. That research showed companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.
Women’s economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes. For example, increasing the female employment rates in OECD countries to match that of Sweden, could boost GDP by over USD 6 trillion. It is estimated that companies with three or more women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organizational performance.
A permanent set of solutions need to be set in place. The first solution being strict enforcement of existing harassment laws. Enforcement also entails bringing awareness to the employees, as most of them are unaware of the laws that exist, hence them not reporting harassment. The second proposition is fairer workplace laws. This also includes removing the misleading aspect of employment contracts, including suspicious non-disclosure agreements. Most states in the US have already done that but this needs to be implemented worldwide. The third suggestion is quicker processing of rapists on trial and making the justice system cheaper and more accessible, so more victims can benefit from it.
Suffice to say, the movement has brought about changes in the law to protect women, and also has brought economic disparities to light which helps managers plan their workforces better. There is still a long way to go, to make the economic environment completely fair, but the movement is off to a solid start.
(Tarana Burke, founder of the MeToo movement)
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