Recent Posts
Culture November 19, 2016
Gretchen Carlson breaks her silence and encourages young women to fight the culture of victim-blaming by “documenting” accounts of sexual harassment.
“We’re still in an environment where you’re not going to be believed,” she said in her emotional 20/20 interview Friday night. Because of this, it’s very important to combat “he said, she said” situations with proof of sexual harassment, Carlson explained.
In fact, when Carlson filed her lawsuit against the former chairman and CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, the network and Ailes both denied the allegations in a statement.
READ MORE: Handling a Flirty Boss: Advice from Blair Cahill
“Gretchen Carlson’s allegations are false. This is a retaliatory suit for the network’s decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup,” the statement to ABC said.
But regardless of the denials, Carlson has become a warrior for women in the workplace. During the 20/20 interview, she shared excerpts of some of the letters thanking and praising her for her “bravery and strength for coming forward and paving the way for other women.”
In an environment where women are often accused of making up sexual allegations, Gretchen Carlson’s lawsuits shine an important spotlight on this problem.
“There’s always been the fear of backlash”: On sexual harassment in journalism https://t.co/jjnIu5Th5e @brianstelter pic.twitter.com/cDdnRItG6n
— Lucy Westcott (@lvzwestcott) August 22, 2016
Nearly two thirds of female journalists have suffered some form of harassment at work, according to a study from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). But as IWMF executive director Elisa Lees Muñoz told Newsweek, which conducted a survey of sexual harassment complaints, the lack of job security in the industry leads to fewer women reporting harassment.
READ MORE: Megyn Kelly on Being Sexually Harassed and Why She’s Not a Feminist (VIDEO)
“The perception has always been there – there’s always been the fear of backlash,” Muñoz said. “[Women] are afraid to say something, afraid of being the squeaky wheel, afraid they wouldn’t get assignments, that they wouldn’t be sent back to where this happened.”
Thus, there is a “real need for older female champions” to show that you’re not weak for reporting harassment, Muñoz adds.
And while Carlson has been considered a hero for many women, she is also a role model for her children. Her daughter, Kaia, 13, said of her mother, “I do think my mom is a hero for many women and also for many men in the world. She’s teaching them how to treat women and how to be with women, and it’s very important not only for girls but also men.”
READ MORE: What Gretchen Carlson’s Lawsuit Against Fox Means for Professional Women Over 50
