: Male reign over society is slowly but surely coming to an end. It appears that after being viewed as the dominant sex for thousands of years, the power has gone to their head. Men, however, are in for a rude awakening because their time’s up.
Our society is not static. Old systems of power are being challenged and dismantled. Women are starting to fight back through the enormously popular #Metoo and #Time’sUp movements. The Time’s Up movement is a direct reaction to #MeToo, specifically focusing on empowering women to fight back against their aggressors.
According to the Time’s Up Now website, “Nearly half of working women in the U.S. say they have experienced harassment in the workplace. One in three women ages 18 to 34 have been sexually harassed at work. Seventy-one percent of those women said they did not report it.” Living in such a male dominated society, it is not surprising so many women choose to stay silent. With so many men maintaining leadership positions in companies, women often don’t feel powerful enough to report harassment and assault in the workplace.
The most radical part of the #Time’sUp movement is the organization’s legal fund. The legal fund focuses on marginalized women who cannot afford to press charges against wealthier aggressors. The legal fund is particularly focused on domestic and service workers. The Time’s Up website articulates that “Sexual harassment is pervasive across industries, but especially in low-wage service jobs. For example, more than 25 percent of sexual harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the last decade came from industries with service-sector workers.” The Time’s Up Legal Fund makes the empowerment of the #Time’sUp movement accessible to everyone.
While the movement is primarily led by women, many male actors in Hollywood have voiced their support. The payroll in Hollywood favors male actors over female actors. But with more women vying for equal pay, male actors are starting to speak up. Mark Wahlberg donated the $1.5 million he received in reshoots for the film “All the Money in the World,” to the #Time’sUp movement, according to Deadline News. He did this in protest of Michelle Williams’, his female co-star, low payout, learning that she received less than $1,000 for the same film.
Since it’s founding, the legal fund has raised $21 million and assisted almost 2000 women, according to an article in NPR. The fund is a legal “matchmaking” service, pairing women with local attorneys and helping pay their legal fees. This can be incredibly empowering for marginalized survivors of sexual harassment and assault.
It’s been a long-standing, unspoken fact of society that the people who have the money hold the power. Women have traditionally been seen as powerless and voiceless because they have been barred from the lucrative careers that many men enjoy. The #Time’sUp Legal Fund gives power back to the women.
