... Moment For More Women To Speak Up?
Significant article in today’s New York Times: “After Ailes and Cosby, a Moment for More Women to Speak Up.”
Noam Scheiber and Sydney Ember begin with a discussion of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas matter, going back to 1991, quoting one expert as saying that “When Anita Hill came out against Clarence Thomas, she got nothing and Clarence Thomas got life tenure.”
Despite the dramatic changes in the workplace since then, experts nonetheless note that “studies indicat[e] that the great majority of sexual harassment incidents at work still go unreported.”
EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum states that “Women might feel more qualified for lots of jobs, and they don’t expect to get discriminated against, but that has not translated into complaining about harassment. The research shows it is unfortunately a reasonable response in most workplaces not to say anything because people will experience retaliation.”
However, the reporters note that:
“The Ailes and Cosby cases, [experts] say, could be influential among women across the work force not just because of the intrinsic power of these examples, but because they come at a moment of empowerment for women in their struggle for equality. And when women’s assertiveness produces dramatic results like the resignation of Mr. Ailes, it can inspire more women to follow the same path.”
You should read this.