I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of women in the world. Hollywood was reeling over the avalanche of harassment and sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The #MeToo hashtag is near-constant in my various feeds. I am saddened. I keep asking myself, “How do I take action?” And more importantly, how to take action that reverbs beyond just Hollywood?
I see Saudi women claiming their right to drive and wanting more of the rights that we in the USA take for granted. There’s been significant action to stop child-marriage in India. Men are expressing remorse, sympathy and solidarity for the women brave enough to tell world their “Me Too”. There IS progress.
I had a conversation with Nada Nasserdeen of Rise Up For You this morning. It will be up soon. We discussed so many things and one of the things that came up was the pay gap. What Harvey Weinstein did was horrible, and once the headlines fade on this, we still have to keep pushing for economic equality. Abuse of power is intimately tied to money. Having money does not give you the right to abuse other people. One of the things that stands out about the Harvey Weinstein debacle was how he was perceived as a “golden goose” to quote Scott Rosenberg, a long-time associate. If you haven’t read Rosenberg’s comments, read it. Weinstein’s ability to make box office money left him unchecked. Considering how little progress has been made to include more women in the decision-making process of commercial film and television, it’s no wonder that he would-be-Harvey-s would feel invincible.
How do we move forward beyond this week?
- Reach out to a woman in entertainment and let her know you support her. Let her know that you care.
- Go to a play or movie directed or produced by a woman. Support women in the arts. There’s an old maxim that “You’re only as good as your last picture.” Let’s support women making art.
- Do not tolerate bad behavior, “locker room talk” or any action that demeans a woman or girl at home, work or school.
- Support women globally, especially to empower them economically. A threat to women’s freedoms anywhere compromises women’s freedom everywhere. One of my favorite ways to do this is by funding a micro-loan on Kiva.
This is about more than the transgressions of one man. There are more Harvey-s in every industry, every country. This is not just a Hollywood problem. It’s a power imbalance that manifests everywhere from gilded Hollywood to the most humble villages on earth. As long as the pay gap is tolerable to the majority, women will still be a minority, even if women outnumber men.
Kristin West 