Hollywood women launch plan to end sexual harassment in 2018

Some of the most powerful women in Hollywood — a group that consists of over 1,000 members — have unveiled a new plan to directly combat sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.

We couldn’t be more thrilled.

The project, entitled Time’s Up, was announced on Jan. 1 in a features story by The New York Times. The group originally began assembling in early October of 2017 when the news of Harvey Weinstein first broke.

An open letter contain’s the group’s mission statement and a list of all the women who have signed it.

“We want all survivors of sexual harassment, everywhere, to be heard, to be believed, and to know that accountability is possible. We also want all victims and survivors to be able to access justice and support for the wrongdoing they have endured. We particularly want to life up the voices, power, and strength of women working in low-wage industries where the lack of financial stability makes them vulnerable to gender-based violence and exploitation.

“As a first step towards helping women and men across the country seeking justice,” the letter says later on, “the signatories of this letter will be seeding a legal fund to help survivors of sexual assault and harassment across all industries challenge those responsible for the harm against them and give voice to their experiences.”

Among those who have signed is director Ava DuVernay, Lucasfilm producer Kathleen Kennedy, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and many, many more.

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

So far, Time’s Up has already collected $13 million in funding to subsidize the legal support, according to their GoFundMe page. Major Hollywood agencies like ICM Partners, United Talent Agency and more have all donated large sums of money to the cause.

“We remain committed to holding our own workplaces accountable,” the letter ends by saying, “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.”