‘Time’s Up’ Initiative Started By Ashley Judd & Other A-List Women To Combat Workplace Harassment

More than 1,000 women in the entertainment industry have teamed up to develop a plan to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

TIME’S UP INITIATIVE

The initiative, entitled Time’s Up, was detailed in a story by the New York Times on Monday. The group of women, including Ashley Judd, Ava DuVernay, America Ferrera, and Emma Stone, came together shortly after the first round of allegations were brought against Harvey Weinstein. They provided an open letter to the publication outlining their ideas, and say they were encouraged to do so after receiving a letter of support from Alianza Nacional de Campesinas) The National Farmworker Women’s Alliance) in November.

“Countless farmworker women across our country suffer in silence because of the widespread sexual harassment and assault that they face at work,” that letter read. The group also acknowledged the horror stories from women in the entertainment industry, saying, “sadly, we’re not surprised because it’s a reality we know far too well.”

Time’s Up intends to use their platform of fame in Hollywood to fight for equality on behalf of women in all fields. “We want all survivors of sexual harassment, everywhere, to be heard, to be believed, and to know that accountability is possible,” the NYT letter read. The group has also collected nearly $14 million to subsidize legal support for “women and men who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace.”

“The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly,” the Time’s Up letter said. The letter also encouraged women to stand up for one another, no matter power or position. “If this group of women can’t fight for a model for other women who don’t have as much power and privilege, then who can?” asked founder Shonda Rhimes.

“Time’s up on silence. Time’s up on waiting. Time’s up on tolerating discrimination, harassment and abuse. #TimesUp Sign the solidarity letter & donate to the @TIMESUPNW Legal Defense Fund: https://timesupnow.com,” she added in a Twitter post about the initiative.

Time’s up on silence. Time’s up on waiting. Time’s up on tolerating discrimination, harassment and abuse. #TimesUp Sign the solidarity letter & donate to the @TIMESUPNW Legal Defense Fund: https://t.co/eTwKtOboIl pic.twitter.com/q8aok1HTGg

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) January 1, 2018

Major donors to the cause are Rhimes, Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw, according to its GoFundMe page. Hollywood agencies such as ICM Partners, William Morris Endeavor, United Talent Agency, and Creative Artists Agency, have each donated $1 million or more.

“We have been siloed off from each other,” Witherspoon said. “We’re finally hearing each other, and seeing each other, and now locking arms in solidarity with each other, and in solidarity for every woman who doesn’t feel seen, to be finally heard.”

“This is a moment of solidarity, not a fashion moment,” Eva Longoria added. “For years, we’ve sold these awards shows as women, with our gowns and colors and our beautiful faces and our glamour. This time the industry can’t expect us to go up and twirl around. That’s not what this moment is about.”

“We remain committed to holding our workplaces accountable, pushing for swift and effective change to make the entertainment industry a safe and equitable place for everyone, and telling women’s stories through our eyes and voices with the goal of shifting our society’s perception and treatment of women,” the open letter concluded.