Listen HereBy: Alexis Mitchell
Twitter: @alexismitch14
Email: mitchella2@findlay.edu
If you watched the Golden Globes this year you might have noticed a similarity – all the celebrities were dressed in black. Those who attended used this form of symbolic speech to stand up for women in the work place; and yes, even the men participated.
Throughout history, and the present too, instances of inequality and injustice against women in the workplace are often normalized. I have experienced these situations as both a bystander and the person receiving the rude remarks. Things such as “You’re being too emotional,” or “You’re just a female” are just a few comments I have been told while being in charge.
A long with the #Metoo movement, Time’s Up is all about equality when it comes to women. Time’s Up is just specified in the work place.
The movement’s mission is listed on its’ website and reads as, “A unified call for change from women in entertainment for women everywhere. From movie sets to farm fields to boardrooms alike, we envision nationwide leadership that reflects the world in which we live.”
If there is anything I am for, it is the empowerment of women. There have been many sexual harassment and assault allegations in the Hollywood scene recently, and I for one think #metoo and Time’s Up help give these women, and all women alike, a voice.
According to the Time’s Up website, nearly half of women in the workplace say they have experienced harassment. Also, one in three women between the ages of 18 and 34 have been sexually harassed at work though 71% did not report it.
It’s important that women who have been through horrible situations have a safe place to speak the truth, as well as powerful organizations to help them. Not only does Time’s Up help support women who have been harassed in the workplace, but it helps women who have suffered from injustice in the workplace.
In fact, E! News Anchor Catt Sandler (one of my favorite on screen personalities) just recently quit her job because her male co-anchor who worked the exact amount of time and workload was being paid almost double her salary. When Sandler tried negotiating with the network, they refused to increase her pay.
This is just a prime example how the struggle women face when it comes to making money in their jobs is still so relevant today. Just because we do not hear about it as much, does not mean it doesn’t still happen.
I asked University of Findlay Junior Education Major Kaitlynn Babb what she thought about Time’s Up and she says that something like this should have happened a long time ago.
“I think it’s great that women who are determined and career oriented now can feel more empowered in their line of work,” said Babb.
As a woman, it was empowering watching all the men and women at the Golden Globes wearing black and speaking on the current issues in our society. Time’s Up leads us one step closer to equality in the workplace.
