The View
Why I decided to
make my future
about fighting back
By Gretchen CarlsonSINCE THE MEDIA FIRST REPORTED MY
story about sexual harassment at Fox News,
one question has weighed heavily on my
mind: What can I do to help women who
can’t afford to stand up against workplace
harassment? It’s not just a problem in the
media industry, or in Hollywood, where so
many brave women have spoken out against
the disgusting abuses of Harvey Weinstein.
Over the past 15 months, I’ve heard from
thousands of women: fast-food workers,
single moms and many other women working
two jobs just to try and make ends meet.
Putting aside the enormous courage it
takes to actually speak up, many women can’t
risk the financial consequences of standing
up to power and subjecting themselves to re-
taliation, character assassination, demotion,
termination and blacklisting.
Speaking up about harassment and
other forms of abuse is an important step in
the process, but it’s only the first step in a
mission to make life better for our friends, co-
workers and children. My advocacy efforts
most recently have been focused on Capitol
Hill, where I’m working to obtain bipartisan
support for a bill that would prohibit the
forced-arbitration clauses that are embedded
in many employment contracts.
I’m proud to announce the Gretchen
Carlson Leadership Initiative, a program I
believe will be the beginning of a solution. A
GCLI grant will fund multiday programming
in nine cities, bringing women’s civic leader-
ship training to thousands of underserved
women, with a focus on empowering survi-
vors of gender-based violence, discrimination
and harassment. The most important part to
me: the program will be free.
I never expected to become the face of this
issue, but here I am. I live my life by the motto
“Carpe diem,” which helps me make the
most of every opportunity. Through GCLI,
I will share the gift of courage with others,
encouraging you, your family members, your
friends and your colleagues to stand up, speak
up, come together and take your power back.Carlson is the author ofBe Fierce. Sales
proceeds will go to the Gift of Courage fund‘I was so
hesitant
about
speaking
out ... I didn’t
want to hurt
his family.
I felt guilty
as if I did
something
wrong.’
CARA DELEVINGNE,
on Instagram$300,000
The cap on
discrimination
and harassment
claims for large
employers
(though uncapped
damages are
available under
state law)I HAVE LIVED IN VAGUE FEAR OF HARVEY
Weinstein for over 20 years, ever since the incidents
I described in the New Yorker. At the time I don’t
think I even knew that what happened—Weinstein
using business-related situations to try and press
himself sexually on a young woman in his employ—
qualified as sexual harassment. Coming forward
with my story has been a real struggle. But as a
woman who routinely advocates for women and
girls who have been victimized in my role as a U.N.
goodwill ambassador, and as a mother, I could no
longer remain silent.
At the time, I told people close to me and tried
to confide in a female employee at Weinstein’s
company, Miramax. Her reaction was as though
I was suddenly radioactive for daring to bring it
up, which gave me little encouragement. I had
no idea that the abuse was so widespread, and in
some cases, so long-term for the victims. I don’t
know how I evaded more repeat attempts, perhaps
because shortly after the second incident I began a
romantic relationship with one of his top directors
that lasted three years.
Ultimately, my conscience and my desire to
break away from the tyranny of intimidation made
me shakily agree to put my name and specifically
identifiable details in Ronan Farrow’s story. We
live in a culture in which sexual harassment and
rape are rife, part of the power dynamic between
men and women in the workplace. That my
silence could mean complicity was not something
I could live with.
I second-guessed my decision, wondering
if being a whistle-blower would mean being
blacklisted. But once I knew the story was going
to print, an enormous peace washed over me—a
sense that finally I had taken my personal power
back. My fear of what could be done to me has
been outweighed by an overwhelming sense that I
am living with full courage and honesty. As other
women have spoken out, the support has been
overwhelming and deeply gratifying.
I am here to encourage a mass speaking-out.
Victim-shaming must be quelled, and the real
evildoers called out and punished to the fullest
extent of the law. We must, can and will work
together to change that culture right now, so that
we may walk head up and unbowed, unafraid to
live our lives in freedom, solidarity and power.
Sorvino is an Oscar-winning actor and a UNODC
Ambassador Against Human Trafficking
The power of
speaking out
By Mira Sorvino