Long before social media and the conversion of the #(pound) sign into the hashtag (allowing us to share relevant specific content); the METOO campaign was born. In 2006, years after hearing a 13-year old girl’s sexual abuse story, Tarana Burke found the resources to fund a nonprofit organization, JustBeInc., that helps victims of sexual harassment and assault.
Fast forward and a whole lot of high-profile cases later, we just earmarked the one year anniversary of the #METOO movement. Addressing the matter, KUEL woman and NC Employment Lawyer, Laura Noble, spoke to USA Today. Noble champions victims of wrongful termination – whether it be related to ageism, retaliation, sexual harassment, or any other discriminatory illegal acton. In the article, Laura shares her perspective on the realities of the movement’s outcome, thus far. Here is a snippet of what she has to say:
“I’m not seeing any easier path for women to get to legal remedies as a result of the #MeToo movement,” says Laura Noble, an attorney who works with the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and whose North Carolina-based firm had a 500 percent increase in calls about sexual harassment in the last three months of 2017.
“Some jury consultants will tell you that it’s negatively affecting harassment claimants because of this perception that the #MeToo movement’s gone too far.’ “So I think the next six,12,18 months, when these verdicts come back … we’ll have a better sense of where the public really is, on whether there has been a social shift and mindset in how we deal with sexual harassment victims.’’ – Laura Noble
The full article can be found here.
As KUEL women enter our second act, we sometimes complain of disappearing. While unhappy about losing visibility where we WANT to be seen, an upside to the Houdini act is less UNWANTED sexual attention. According to a WSJ/NBC News poll, amongst women 18 to 49 years old, 78 percent said yes when asked whether “sexual harassment happens in almost all or most workplaces” compared to women 50 and older, 64 percent said the same, a difference of 14 percentage points. It seems as we age we are targeted less.
But, just because we KUEL women may have ‘aged-out’ of this peril, it does not mean we stop participating. As a matter of fact, NOW is the time to use our super powers of invisibility and self-confidence to help our younger sisters. Mentoring less seasoned women is a great way to pass on our experience and knowledge. While we’ve come a long way, the road at times seems endless. Any leg-up we can afford the next generation of KUEL women makes the world a better place; for all.
Just in case you missed it. You can catch CBS News’ clip on the #MeToo movement’s one year landmark, Our KUEL Laura Noble, of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, reflects on the impact of the #MeToo movement.
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