The “Times Up” and #MeToo movements were two of the most influential and important movements in 2017, and continue to hold significance every day, especially in Hollywood. As Hollywood begins to crack down on their policies, people outside of the bubble, unfortunately, still have an issue with recognizing and punishing sexual assault. Especially low-wage workers. These movements demand accountability, so why aren’t these men in the low-wage workplace being held accountable? One reason is if a woman is sexually harassed or assaulted, they are afraid to tell an authority figure for fear of being fired. If they decide to file a lawsuit under Title VII, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion in low-wage workplaces, they also have the least amount of access to legal help and cannot afford it if there is access. If these women are fired or spend money on legal help, they could lose money which is an awful situation to be in when you’re living from paycheck to paycheck. If the assaulters do not face consequences they are likely to continue these actions. How can we help? The first step to help is to simply understand that these women exist, and often endure the same situations as people in Hollywood or high-wage workplaces, and do not get the same help or treatment.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.