Catherwood LibraryILR School

Various initiatives towards changing an entrenched harassment culture in Hollywood continue in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, with a rally held on Sunday on a main Hollywood intersection, where participants from the related #MeToo campaign marched and held aloft signs listing men working behind the scenes on various soap operas who had mistreated women, along with the faces of famous alleged male offenders such as Kevin Spacey. The continued momentum has spurred female executives to direct women into new avenues where they can report cases of sexual harassment easily. Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman is launching a help line as well as a legal-aid service in December for those experiencing unwanted behavior. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has called for a commission to codify an industry-wide approach to fighting sexual harassment and assault, while California state senator Connie Leyva intends to propose legislation banning secret payouts in workplace harassment cases. The latter would face considerable hurdles in becoming law, but Leyva hopes that it would encourage victims to come forward. Many admitted that it will be difficult to see immediate change in an industry where male power has dominated and where success is wedded to sex appeal. Increasing the number of female executives in power may take time due to the amount of time needed to rise through the ranks, and some of the most powerful companies have limited shareholders and are privately run.