On January 1st, celebrities everywhere shared a new Instagram account with a strong message: Time's Up. More than just an Instagram profile or the latest hashtag trend, Time's Up was created to empower women everywhere; Time's up on silence. Time's up on waiting. Time's up on tolerating discrimination, harassment, and abuse.
So what exactly is the Time's Up Movement? According to their mission statement, Time's Up is a call for change for women everywhere. Created after Harvey Weinstein was outed for his history of sexual harassment and when the hashtag "Me Too," went viral, the movement wants to call out the inequalities women face in the workplace and society and inspire changes to be made. Time's Up has also created a legal defense fund for women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace and need help to fight for their rights. Most importantly, Time's Up can connect victims with resources to overcome their assault or harassment.
The statistics are staggering: One in three women, ages 18 to 34, have admitted to being sexually harassed in their workplace. However, only 29% of women actually reported their harassment. Many women withhold from reporting an incident in fear that they will face consequences, or not be believed. Additionally, only one of every ten senior leaders is a woman. In companies across the globe, women leaders are sparse. And of course, the Time's Up movement wants to bring a change so women will receive equal pay for doing the same work as their male counterparts.
Fast forward to Sunday, January 7th, the 75th annual Golden Globes Awards. Just a week after the Time's Up movement became public, a blackout occurred on the red carpet. Nearly every celebrity, men and women alike, dressed in black attire, head-to-toe. More than just a fashion statement, the Golden Globes attendees were making a statement against sexual harassment in Hollywood and everywhere. Many celebrities brought women's activists to the awards show as well. At the Golden Globes, the $15 million fundraising goal was met and exceeded. These donations are what help victims with legal defense and other resources. But what's next?
Time's Up is gaining momentum. For starters, female Democrats are planning to wear black to Trump's State of the Union Address on January 30th. This will mark the second time in a less than a month that powerful women will stand up for the rights of women everywhere. Time's Up is also forming legislation to eliminate the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims' voices.
Even though the Time's Up movement was created by women in Hollywood, Time's Up is so much more than that. Time's Up is about women of all races, sizes, economic statuses, and career paths to come together and fight for true equality. But not just women are fighting. Men everywhere are standing up to enact changes in the workplace and society alongside hundreds of women. Wearing black in solidarity with all women is only the beginning of a fight for real equal rights, everywhere.
