Female Hollywood execs are teaming up with U.S. attorney Anita Hill to fight sexual harassment

Harvey Weinstein may have been the first, but he certainly wasn’t the last. In fact, hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear stories of sexual misconduct by powerful men in Hollywood. To help combat this problem, a group of female Hollywood executives have teamed up to form an anti-sexual harassment commission, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement, Lucasfilm president and commission co-organizer Kathleen Kennedy said the group will work on a “comprehensive strategy to address the complex and interrelated causes of the problems of parity and power.”

What’s more, U.S. attorney Anita Hill will chair the group, which has been named the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace. Hill testified against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during his 1991 Senate confirmation hearings, accusing him of repeated sexual harassment.

As we know, the Senate confirmed Thomas to the Supreme Court anyway. But Hill’s testimony opened up the door for continued discussion of workplace harassment. She also gave a voice to women’s experiences, especially those of women of color.

To form the commission, Kennedy joined forces with Nike Foundation founder Maria Eitel, Del Shaw partner Nina Shaw, and venture capitalist Freada Kapor Klein. The women met with other top leaders in music, film, television, and more. Disney CEO Bob Iger and the CEOs of Paramount, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Universal Music Group also attended.

Anita Hill on Sexual Harassment: ‘Today, More People Would Believe My Story’ https://t.co/3GQ7AACOYx

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The commission will begin meeting in 2018 to discuss a more concrete scope and mission.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in a written statement, Hill said the commission will focus on issues like “power disparity, equity and fairness, safety, sexual harassment guidelines, education and training,” and more.

“It is time to end the culture of silence," Hill said. "I’ve been at this work for 26 years. This moment presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make real change.

We can’t wait to see the solutions they come up with.