190 British actresses demand end to sexual harassment ahead of Baftas
Almost 200 of Britain's leading actresses are demanding the eradication of sexual harassment from all industries, ahead of Sunday night's Baftas.Double Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, Harry Potter star Emma Watson, and new Dr Who, Jodie Whittaker have all signed an open letter calling for an end to harassment, abuse, and impunity in a world "ripe for change".
The 190 stars of film, TV and stage have joined forces with more than 160 activists, academics and service providers, to launch a new fund aiming to resource a network of support and advocacy organisation projects across the UK.
Watson has donated £1 million to the fund, while Tom Hiddleston and Keira Knightley each donated £10,000.
Meanwhile Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Whittaker and Noomi Rapace each donated £1,000 and Thompson donated £500.
The letter (read the letter in full below) has been published ahead of the Baftas on Sunday night, where activists will join stars on the red carpet, while attendees will wear black in solidarity with Time's Up - the movement launched following the sexual harassment scandal which engulfed Hollywood after an avalanche of allegations were made against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Activists and guests invited to the awards include Laura Bates who founded the award-winning Everyday Sexism project, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of UK Black Pride, and Eileen Pullen and Gwen Davis, two of the "Dagenham Girls" who walked out of a Ford Motor Company plant after learning they were being paid less than their male counterparts in 1968.
Published in The Observer, the open letter - also signed by stars including Naomie Harris, Gemma Arterton, Letitia Wright and Olivia Coleman - states: "This movement is bigger than just a change in our industry alone.
"This movement is intersectional, with conversations across race, class, community, ability and work environment, to talk about the imbalance of power."
The letter highlights the gender pay gap, the insecurities of the gig economy and freelance work as well as research which found more than half of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment at work.
The letter reads: "In the very near past, we lived in a world where sexual harassment was an uncomfortable joke; an unavoidable awkward part of being a girl or a woman.
"It was certainly not to be discussed, let alone addressed. In 2018, we seem to have woken up in a world ripe for change. If we truly embrace this moment, a line in the sand will turn to stone."
It says high-profile stars "need to use our power as communicators and connectors to shift the way society sees and treats us".
"We need to examine the kind of womanhood our industry promotes and sells to the world."
They call for "collective power" in bringing the Time's Up movement to workers across all industries "in the limelight or the shadows" to galvanise others and invite supporters to donate to their new fund.
Managed by Rosa, the UK Justice And Equality Fund aims to make workplaces safe for all and ensure anyone subjected to harassment and abuse is able to access support.
They say the Baftas is a time to "celebrate this tremendous moment of solidarity and unity across borders by coming together and making this movement international".
A second letter signed by activists, academics and service providers welcomes the involvement of the stars.
It reads: "For each woman in the entertainment industry who has spoken out, there are thousands of women whose stories go unheard...These are not isolated incidents.
"This is about power and inequality; and it is systemic."
Read the letter in full: