The new manual – Resources, Inspiration and Recommended Practices among Performer Unions for Combatting Sexual Harassment – comes at a crucial time. It is the result of unstinting work and commitment by FIA member unions to guarantee workplaces that are free of any form of discrimination, harassment or retaliation; and it has appeared a few months after the adoption of the International Labour Organization’s new Violence and Harassment Convention on 21 June 2019.
In their role as guardians of working conditions and workplace protections, unions have naturally taken an active role in the discussion of how sexual harassment can be properly addressed. Many have already established practices and protocols to support performers who report cases of sexual harassment or intimidation.
2017 will be remembered as a landmark year in the sector, with the high-profile revelations of gross sexual misconduct in the US creating a domino effect across the globe, whose ripples are still being profoundly felt in national media, arts and entertainment industries. Many have experienced their own wake-up call, with the global #metoo movement pointing to an endemic culture of sexual harassment in the industry, and one that has too long gone unquestioned, ignored or even actively concealed.
The FIA sexual harassment working group was created during the FIA Executive Committee meeting in Zagreb in October 2017. “Enough is enough!” was the message emerging from this meeting when it issued its Declaration on Sexual Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation in the Entertainment and Media Industries, which was unanimously approved. Since then, the working group has held regular video conferences to share the latest developments and updates to ongoing strategies and tools to fight harassment. FIA has also launched and regularly updates a specific page on its website featuring resources shared in that forum.
Creating a manual on sexual harassment for use by FIA members was identified as a key objective by the working group. This publication is intended to be a practical tool for advocacy and a useful model for any union in the sector wishing to develop its own strategy to fight sexual harassment at national level.
This manual is in no way an exhaustive list of the potential policies and tools that can be used but we hope it provides the necessary help and inspiration to get started and bring about change. It is available online and for download (PDF) here under in English, French and Spanish.
– FIA Manual_Combatting Sexual Harassment_EN
