Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Casey Affleck, and Charlie Rose are just a few names that come to mind when I think about sexual misconduct in the workplace. Now to add to the list, is former host of The Today Show- Matt Lauer.
NBC News staff took action by firing Lauer only 34 hours after the allegations were made by the subordinate who has chosen to remain anonymous. Since then, NBC has received two more complaints related to Lauer. Reports say that one woman, a former employee, was called to Lauer’s office where he then had sex with her. The woman felt as though she had no choice and was fearful of losing her job. She didn’t report the incident at the time because she felt ashamed.
As of late, women have been stepping forward to report such encounters that they have experienced in the workplace. It is great to see these brave women speak out against their abusers, however it is unfortunate that it has taken most of them decades to do so, but I don’t blame them. On November 9th, news broke that Roy Moore, the Republican Party Senate nominee in Alabama, allegedly forced a 14-year-old girl into a sexual encounter in 1979 when he was 32. Seeing that most the women involved in these encounters were children when it happened, one can understand why it has taken so long for them to speak out.
My heart goes out to both women who have had to experience such tragic events. It is unfortunate that even men of high profiles, which many people look up to, still choose to make such rash decisions. If celebrities and politicians are using their power to sexually abuse their employees with such high risks, just imagine what may be going on in other organizations with lower status.
This needs to stop. Before we let someone else tell us women that it is our fault for “being a distraction,” we need to let people know that this isn’t the case at all. It’s the twenty first century. Stop teaching our girls that they need a husband to take care of them and that they won’t find one unless they learn how to cook and how to clean.
Let’s teach our girls how to be independent, and show them that they are worth just as much as the next kid. Stop teaching our boys that they need to be tough and demanding, and that they should never cry. Teach them to be understanding and how to treat a girl right.