A few weeks ago, 300 prominent, female entertainment figures announced Time’s Up. The movement was announced with an open letter from the involved celebrities to working-class women about standing together against sexual harassment. The announcement follows the recent sexual allegations that have been made in Hollywood against people from Charlie Rose to Harvey Weinstein. The women who established Time’s Up range from famous actresses like Reese Witherspoon and Eva Longoria, to writers like Shonda Rimes, and even high profile lawyers like Nina L. Shaw and and Tina Tchen. The movement includes a variety of initiatives and resources to help those who suffer from systematic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue-collar locations around the country.

First, it is backed by a $13 million dollar legal defense fund that is meant to help underprivileged women fight sexual harassment cases when there are no other resources to do so. They also provide legislation to protect victims from non-disclosure agreements and penalize companies with persistent trends of sexual harassment. The initiative includes a program that encourages gender equality in businesses. Time’s Up started a campaign that invited its members to wear black in solidarity of sexual harassment and speak up about the current issues in Hollywood and all over America.The movement gained widespread media attention after the overwhelming number of female and male celebrities who participated in the initiative by wearing black. Oprah Winfrey’s speech about reaching a new horizon also fueled the discussion about gender equality and sexual harassment. The Beacon asked a couple Whitney Young students what they think about the current sexual harassment scandals in Hollywood. Haley Wellman 18’ said “I think that it’s good that sexual harassment issues are being recognized in Hollywood. It is a widespread problem that is often ignored.” Nyla David 19’ noted, “It is great that powerful women are coming together to help solve this issue.” The Beacon hopes that Time’s Up will make large strides towards equality for women all over America.

Image courtesy of Time’s Up