British actress and activist Emma Watson, who has long stood up for the rights of women, is inaugurating a brand-new legal advice line for women who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.
The hotline is staffed by non-profit initiative Rights of Women, whose legal team will provide counsel to anyone who calls in. The hotline is currently open to anyone residing in England and Wales.
Watson, 29, commented in a statement for Rights of Women:
“It’s completely staggering to think that this is the only service of its type, given that research has found that as many as one in two women experience sexual harassment in the workplace.”
“It finally feels like people are realising the scale of the problem, and I’m certainly hopeful that with global standards such as the recent International Labour Organization treaty on harassment at work, we’ll start to see a new climate of prevention and accountability on this issue domestically.”
The new hotline is funded by the Time’s Up U.K. Justice and Equality Fund, an offshoot project from Rosa, the U.K. Fund for Women and Girls. Watson donated approximately $1.4 million to Rosa in 2018.
The hotline will help female callers to navigate three specific areas: what legally constitutes sexual harassment, how to raise a complaint, and how to deal with non-disclosure agreements that may prevent or inhibit them from speaking out.
Legal specialists will then be able to advise women of their rights and the best course of action. The service is completely free of charge to callers. The former “Harry Potter” star explained:
“Understanding what your rights are, how you can assert them, and the choices you have if you’ve experienced harassment is such a vital part of creating safe workplaces for everyone, and this advice line is such a huge development in ensuring that all women are supported, wherever we work.”
Workplace sexual harassment has risen in visibility since the advent of the #MeToo hashtag. The hashtag first came into use after several victims of sexual harassment by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein revealed their stories to the media in October 2017.
The #MeToo movement quickly went global. Despite increased visibility, however, Rights of Women’s Senior Legal Officer Deeba Syed still believes that workplace harassment is an “epidemic.”
“By advising women about their legal options and increasing their understanding of equalities and discrimination law,” Syed told The Guardian, "we will be able to help them make informed choices about next steps, including how to navigate the legal system with confidence.
“We know that complaints of sexual harassment at work are still frequently responded to in a gendered manner that is negative, undermining, or can lead to victimization,” she continued. “That is why Rights of Women will also work toward dismantling the underlying structural problems that puts the burden on victims and makes it difficult for women to come forward through its policy work.”
“The funding supporting this vital service was born of a desire to stamp out the culture of abuse and impunity around sexual harassment, and abuse that has existed in our workplaces and communities for far too long.”
According to a U.K. government survey, 40 percent of women and 18 percent of men reported sexual harassment in the workplace in 2017. The study was not able to account for unreported incidents.
In the United States, an online survey launched in January 2018 by the non-profit Stop Street Harassment found that 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetime.
The U.K. Government Equalities Office told the BBC it “welcomed” the launch of Watson and Rights of Women’s new legal advice hotline. In July 2019, the U.K. government even set out new and improved criteria for protecting employees from sexual harassment in the workplace themselves.
Watson has been supporting gender equality for years. In 2016, she launched a feminist Goodreads book club named Our Shared Shelf, recommending one book every two months. Each book revolves around themes of gender equality, and the club is still active today.
In 2018, Watson joined a 200-strong female British and Irish celebrity collective in signing an open letter campaigning for an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.
The hotline is a step in the right direction for British women. If you’re based in England or Wales and wish to speak to someone about experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, call the hotline at: 0207 490 0152.
“This is about women standing shoulder to shoulder,” Watson said, “women and men, across all workplaces [...] This truly affects everyone.”
