<p>The #MeToo movement was on full display at this year&rsquo;s Golden Globes, where stars wore black to show solidarity. Among them was Oprah Winfrey, who, in accepting a lifetime achievement award, paid tribute to the women who dared tell their truth, assuring &ldquo;all the girls watching&rdquo; that &ldquo;a new day is on the horizon.&rdquo;</p>

<p>While 2017 unearthed harassment and assault in a wide variety of work contexts &ndash; Hollywood, hotels, Congress, strawberry fields, Silicon Valley and auto plants &ndash; the focus is now on that horizon and what to do next.</p>

<p>The Time&rsquo;s Up initiative, led by Hollywood power players including producer Shonda Rhimes and actress Eva Longoria, distributed a plan to do just that. It rightly views harassment as a harm unto itself and as part of a larger system of disadvantage, where women remain underrepresented at the highest levels, while low-wage workers are especially &ldquo;vulnerable &hellip; to violence and exploitation.&rdquo; That means pursuing justice for victims, accountability for wrongdoers and gender parity in pay, opportunities and representation.</p>

<p>Part of the answer is just this straightforward: Stop workplace harassment and treat employees equally. But when you zoom out further, the harassment crisis of 2017 reveals broader cracks in workplace regulation that have grown over time &ndash; similar to how the 2008 financial crisis resulted from long-festering economic problems and weaknesses in our legal system.</p>

<p>Social scientists and legal scholars have been examining these issues for some time. Their research &ndash; as well as some of my own work &ndash; reveals several root problems that need to be addressed through legal reforms if we hope to reach the &ldquo;new day&rdquo; Oprah promised.</p>

<p><strong>Getting at the roots &ndash; and the gaps</strong></p>

<p>Employment laws can have a patchy quality, where some workers are protected and others are left out in the cold.</p>

<p>Many statutes only cover employers with a minimum number of employees. For example, the federal statute prohibiting harassment &ndash; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act &ndash; only covers employers with 15 or more workers. That means employees of small businesses have no legal recourse if they suffer harassment or discrimination.</p>

<p>The problem is especially acute for domestic workers, engaged in child care, elder care or housekeeping. These workers are effectively invisible as far as harassment law is concerned.</p>

<p>Agricultural workers are also excluded from the National Labor Relations Act, the statute protecting workers&rsquo; right to join a union. Although this does not on its face relate to harassment, unions can play an important role in advocating for their members on a variety of issues.</p>

<p>Independent contractors are similarly vulnerable. They are not protected by any existing employment-related statutes, from laws covering harassment and wages to unemployment insurance and workers compensation. And this problem is only growing with the rise of the gig economy. Around 4 million workers power the gig economy. Virtually all of them are treated as independent contractors.</p>

<p>The point is that businesses have no incentive to comply with laws that do not apply to their workers. Preventing harassment &ndash; and other workplace harms &ndash; will require expanding the reach of the laws already in place.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201575/original/file-20180110-46700-2w1z64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption><span class="caption">Many men and women at this year&rsquo;s Golden Globes wore pins highlighting the Times Up Initiative, which among other things has offered to pay legal fees for victims of sexual harassment.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)</span></span></figcaption>
</figure>

<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

<p><strong>Access to justice for low-wage workers</strong></p>

<p>Low-wage workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace harms &ndash; including harassment &ndash; yet are least able to vindicate their rights.</p>

<p>Low-wage workers can have trouble finding a lawyer because it&rsquo;s not always profitable to represent them. That&rsquo;s why the Time&rsquo;s Up initiative has created a legal fund to help workers with legal fees associated with harassment claims.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, long-term progress will likely require legal reform.</p>

<p>The damages courts award for employment law violations are often a function of lost wages, which makes high-wage earners more attractive to plaintiffs&rsquo; lawyers working on contingency. However, damages can be structured in other ways, for example by imposing large penalties for certain types of violations. States like California have successfully used penalties to encourage lawyers to represent all types of workers in wage claims.</p>

<p>Low-wage workers also have trouble finding a lawyer when their employer is &ldquo;undercapitalized&rdquo; &ndash; that is, almost broke. Labor economist David Weil documented a larger trend of a &ldquo;fissured&rdquo; workplace, in which large companies subcontract everything on a competitive basis. These subcontractors are small employers with virtually no money and a strong incentive to cut costs through noncompliance with employment laws.</p>

<p>Lawmakers can help here too, by making it easier for workers to sue the larger company subcontracting the work.</p>

<p><strong>Limiting arbitration agreements</strong></p>

<p>Another problem is mandatory arbitration agreements that companies increasingly require employees to sign.</p>

<p>In a New York Times op-ed, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson criticized mandatory arbitration agreements that prevent women from bringing their harassment claims in court. It&rsquo;s actually much worse than this, and the harm extends far beyond harassment claims.</p>

<p>These arbitration agreements often contain class action waivers that prevent employees from bringing any class action claims in court or in arbitration. That means no class actions for widespread harassment. Or anything else for that matter, such as unpaid overtime or pay discrimination.</p>

<p>Class actions play an important role in deterrence. Without them, the law will erode.</p>

<p>These arbitration agreements are made possible by an arcane law known as the Federal Arbitration Act. The proposed Arbitration Fairness Act would address the problem by limiting an employer&rsquo;s ability to bind workers to such agreements.</p>

<p><strong>Address the &lsquo;motherhood penalty&rsquo;</strong></p>

<p>A final issue that undermines equality in the workplace is known as the &ldquo;motherhood penalty.&rdquo; Researchers estimate that a substantial portion of the wage gap is actually an informal penalty applied to mothers.</p>

<p>One experimental study found that mothers were rated as less competent and committed to the workplace than fathers and women without children. Participants in the study also recommended a lower salary offer and deemed the mothers less promotable.</p>

<p>Work-family policies intended to help women &ndash; such as flexible schedule and leave &ndash; can be stigmatizing. A longitudinal study by sociologist Jennifer Glass found that telecommuting and part-time schedules produced strong wage penalties for managerial and professional working mothers over time. These workers essentially had to leave for another employer before their wages recovered.</p>

<p>The negative effect of leave-related stigma is not limited to women. Although family and medical leave laws apply equally to men and women, in practice, men may find their leave requests denied or cut back.</p>

<p>When business professor Erin Reid interviewed more than 100 workers at a consulting company, women described being marginalized after requesting accommodations for family care obligations. But so did the men. A new father who asked to take his legally entitled 12 weeks of leave said he was initially refused and later saw repercussions in his performance review.</p>

<p>Aware of this penalty, some men in Reid&rsquo;s study decided to &ldquo;fake it&rdquo; by figuring out ways to reduce their work commitments under the radar. This option was apparently unavailable to women, who were assumed to be taking care of children when away from their desk.</p>

<p>Addressing the motherhood penalty may mean revisiting our conception of what it means to be a strong performer beyond superficial measures based on face time or billable hours. Progress may also require cracking down on employers that discriminate against men and women for making family leave requests. And providing protection for workers based on their parental status, as several states have done.</p>

<p>If 2017 was the year of reckoning, 2018 should be one of restructuring, in which we examine the path that led us here and build a wider road for those that follow.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/targeting-hidden-roots-of-workplace-harassment-is-key-to-fulfilling-oprahs-promise-to-girls-89908" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>


When business professor Erin Reid interviewed more than 100 workers at a consulting company, women described being marginalized after requesting accommodations for family care obligations.

The #MeToo movement was on full display at this year’s Golden Globes, where stars wore black to show solidarity. Among them was Oprah Winfrey, who, in accepting a lifetime achievement award, paid tribute to the women who dared tell their truth, assuring “all the girls watching” that “a new day is on the horizon.” While 2017 unearthed harassment and assault in a wide variety of work contexts – Hollywood, hotels, Congress, strawberry fields, Silicon Valley and auto plants – the focus is now on that horizon and what to do next. The Time’s Up initiative, led by Hollywood power players including producer Shonda Rhimes and actress Eva Longoria, distributed a plan to do just that. It rightly views harassment as a harm unto itself and as part of a larger system of disadvantage, where women remain underrepresented at the highest levels, while low-wage workers are especially “vulnerable … to violence and exploitation.” That means pursuing justice for victims, accountability for wrongdoers and gender parity in pay, opportunities and representation. Part of the answer is just this straightforward: Stop workplace harassment and treat employees equally. But when you zoom out further, the harassment crisis of 2017 reveals broader cracks in workplace regulation that have grown over time – similar to how the 2008 financial crisis resulted from long-festering economic problems and weaknesses in our legal system. Social scientists and legal scholars have been examining these issues for some time. Their research – as well as some of my own work – reveals several root problems that need to be addressed through legal reforms if we hope to reach the “new day” Oprah promised. Getting at the roots – and the gaps Employment laws can have a patchy quality, where some workers are protected and others are left out in the cold. Many statutes only cover employers with a minimum number of employees. For example, the federal statute prohibiting harassment – Title VII of the Civil Rights Act – only covers employers with 15 or more workers. That means employees of small businesses have no legal recourse if they suffer harassment or discrimination. The problem is especially acute for domestic workers, engaged in child care, elder care or housekeeping. These workers are effectively invisible as far as harassment law is concerned. Agricultural workers are also excluded from the National Labor Relations Act, the statute protecting workers’ right to join a union. Although this does not on its face relate to harassment, unions can play an important role in advocating for their members on a variety of issues. Independent contractors are similarly vulnerable. They are not protected by any existing employment-related statutes, from laws covering harassment and wages to unemployment insurance and workers compensation. And this problem is only growing with the rise of the gig economy. Around 4 million workers power the gig economy. Virtually all of them are treated as independent contractors. The point is that businesses have no incentive to comply with laws that do not apply to their workers. Preventing harassment – and other workplace harms – will require expanding the reach of the laws already in place. Many men and women at this year’s Golden Globes wore pins highlighting the Times Up Initiative, which among other things has offered to pay legal fees for victims of sexual harassment. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Access to justice for low-wage workers Low-wage workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace harms – including harassment – yet are least able to vindicate their rights. Low-wage workers can have trouble finding a lawyer because it’s not always profitable to represent them. That’s why the Time’s Up initiative has created a legal fund to help workers with legal fees associated with harassment claims. Nevertheless, long-term progress will likely require legal reform. The damages courts award for employment law violations are often a function of lost wages, which makes high-wage earners more attractive to plaintiffs’ lawyers working on contingency. However, damages can be structured in other ways, for example by imposing large penalties for certain types of violations. States like California have successfully used penalties to encourage lawyers to represent all types of workers in wage claims. Low-wage workers also have trouble finding a lawyer when their employer is “undercapitalized” – that is, almost broke. Labor economist David Weil documented a larger trend of a “fissured” workplace, in which large companies subcontract everything on a competitive basis. These subcontractors are small employers with virtually no money and a strong incentive to cut costs through noncompliance with employment laws. Lawmakers can help here too, by making it easier for workers to sue the larger company subcontracting the work. Limiting arbitration agreements Another problem is mandatory arbitration agreements that companies increasingly require employees to sign. In a New York Times op-ed, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson criticized mandatory arbitration agreements that prevent women from bringing their harassment claims in court. It’s actually much worse than this, and the harm extends far beyond harassment claims. These arbitration agreements often contain class action waivers that prevent employees from bringing any class action claims in court or in arbitration. That means no class actions for widespread harassment. Or anything else for that matter, such as unpaid overtime or pay discrimination. Class actions play an important role in deterrence. Without them, the law will erode. These arbitration agreements are made possible by an arcane law known as the Federal Arbitration Act. The proposed Arbitration Fairness Act would address the problem by limiting an employer’s ability to bind workers to such agreements. Address the ‘motherhood penalty’ A final issue that undermines equality in the workplace is known as the “motherhood penalty.” Researchers estimate that a substantial portion of the wage gap is actually an informal penalty applied to mothers. One experimental study found that mothers were rated as less competent and committed to the workplace than fathers and women without children. Participants in the study also recommended a lower salary offer and deemed the mothers less promotable. Work-family policies intended to help women – such as flexible schedule and leave – can be stigmatizing. A longitudinal study by sociologist Jennifer Glass found that telecommuting and part-time schedules produced strong wage penalties for managerial and professional working mothers over time. These workers essentially had to leave for another employer before their wages recovered. The negative effect of leave-related stigma is not limited to women. Although family and medical leave laws apply equally to men and women, in practice, men may find their leave requests denied or cut back. When business professor Erin Reid interviewed more than 100 workers at a consulting company, women described being marginalized after requesting accommodations for family care obligations. But so did the men. A new father who asked to take his legally entitled 12 weeks of leave said he was initially refused and later saw repercussions in his performance review. Aware of this penalty, some men in Reid’s study decided to “fake it” by figuring out ways to reduce their work commitments under the radar. This option was apparently unavailable to women, who were assumed to be taking care of children when away from their desk. Addressing the motherhood penalty may mean revisiting our conception of what it means to be a strong performer beyond superficial measures based on face time or billable hours. Progress may also require cracking down on employers that discriminate against men and women for making family leave requests. And providing protection for workers based on their parental status, as several states have done. If 2017 was the year of reckoning, 2018 should be one of restructuring, in which we examine the path that led us here and build a wider road for those that follow. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion: Redressing workplace harassment is key to fulfilling Oprah's promise to girls

<p>The longest-serving member of the US Congress, John Conyers, has decided to step down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee as sexual harassment allegations against him surface, reports said on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters,&quot; Conyers tweeted on Sunday.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters.</p>
&mdash; John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJohnConyers/status/934837618541547520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>According to reports, a staff member informed that she was fired for denying to &#39;succumb to the sexual advances&#39; from the democrat. It was also reported on Tuesday that Conyers had paid an amount of $27,000 in 2015 in exchange for the confidentiality of a former staff member who also said she was then fired.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Media reports also say that he was accused of making several sexual advances in the past. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Democrat has since denied these allegations which were apparently &#39;raised by documents reportedly paid for by a blogger&#39;. He added that he is looking forward to &#39;vindicating himself and his family before the House Committee on Ethics.&#39; According to the congressmen, his role as a Ranking Member on the committee would not be useful until the Ethics Committee investigation is complete.</p>

<p>However, he said that &#39;he would like very much to remain as Ranking Member as there is still much work to be done on core concerns like securing civil rights, enacting meaningful criminal justice reform, and protecting access to the ballot box.&#39;</p>

<p>Conyers urged that he would never allow his legacy, which he owes to his father John Conyers Sr., his family, and the people of Detroit, to be &#39;cast aside or by any way be diminished&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also tweeted saying &#39;I am grateful to my colleagues who have called for due process before weighing judgment. I would urge them to continue to do so for any Member accused of wrongdoing. Basic fairness requires no less&#39;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am grateful to my colleagues who have called for due process before weighing judgment. I would urge them to continue to do so for any Member accused of wrongdoing. Basic fairness requires no less.</p>
&mdash; John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJohnConyers/status/934838606488891394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, claimed that it was justified that Conyers received &quot;due process&quot;.</p>

<p>Ms Pelosi called him &quot;an icon&quot; who had advanced women&#39;s causes.</p>

<p>However, she tweeted, in reference to&nbsp;Conyers: &quot;Zero tolerance means consequences... No matter how great an individual&#39;s legacy, it is not a license for harassment.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zero tolerance means consequences. I have asked for an ethics investigation, and as that investigation continues, <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJohnConyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJohnConyers</a> has agreed to step aside as Ranking Member. No matter how great an individual&rsquo;s legacy, it is not a license for harassment. <a href="https://t.co/H5ikWy1iqT">pic.twitter.com/H5ikWy1iqT</a></p>
&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi/status/934834856781107201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


John Conyers is the longest-serving member of the US Congress

The longest-serving member of the US Congress, John Conyers, has decided to step down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee as sexual harassment allegations against him surface, reports said on Sunday. "After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters," Conyers tweeted on Sunday. After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters. — John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) November 26, 2017 × According to reports, a staff member informed that she was fired for denying to 'succumb to the sexual advances' from the democrat. It was also reported on Tuesday that Conyers had paid an amount of $27,000 in 2015 in exchange for the confidentiality of a former staff member who also said she was then fired. Media reports also say that he was accused of making several sexual advances in the past. The Democrat has since denied these allegations which were apparently 'raised by documents reportedly paid for by a blogger'. He added that he is looking forward to 'vindicating himself and his family before the House Committee on Ethics.' According to the congressmen, his role as a Ranking Member on the committee would not be useful until the Ethics Committee investigation is complete. However, he said that 'he would like very much to remain as Ranking Member as there is still much work to be done on core concerns like securing civil rights, enacting meaningful criminal justice reform, and protecting access to the ballot box.' Conyers urged that he would never allow his legacy, which he owes to his father John Conyers Sr., his family, and the people of Detroit, to be 'cast aside or by any way be diminished'. He also tweeted saying 'I am grateful to my colleagues who have called for due process before weighing judgment. I would urge them to continue to do so for any Member accused of wrongdoing. Basic fairness requires no less'. I am grateful to my colleagues who have called for due process before weighing judgment. I would urge them to continue to do so for any Member accused of wrongdoing. Basic fairness requires no less. — John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) November 26, 2017 × The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, claimed that it was justified that Conyers received "due process". Ms Pelosi called him "an icon" who had advanced women's causes. However, she tweeted, in reference to Conyers: "Zero tolerance means consequences... No matter how great an individual's legacy, it is not a license for harassment. Zero tolerance means consequences. I have asked for an ethics investigation, and as that investigation continues, @RepJohnConyers has agreed to step aside as Ranking Member. No matter how great an individual’s legacy, it is not a license for harassment. pic.twitter.com/H5ikWy1iqT — Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) November 26, 2017 ×

Longest-serving US Congressman steps down after sexual harassment allegations

<p>French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, directed to carry out a slew of measures to fight against the &quot;horrific and shameful&quot; violence against women, and also pledged to make gender equality a major reason of his leadership.</p>

<p>&quot;Our entire society is sick with sexism,&quot; Macron said in a speech in Paris to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.</p>

<p>Macron started off the hour-long speech with a minute of silence to pay respect to the 123 women killed in 2016 in France by their partner or ex-partner, reports said.</p>

<p>&quot;France must no longer be one of those countries where women are afraid,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s seal a pact of equality between men and women,&rdquo; Macron said in a speech marking the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. About violence and sexual abuse, he said: &ldquo;It is essential that shame changes camp.&rdquo;</p>

<p>A number of measures have been announced, including education to secondary school children on pornography and making a systematic but easy system for victims to go to the police for rape and assault cases.</p>

<p>Moreover, measures that may be added in a 2018 draft law could consist of criminalizing street harassment and increasing the statute of limitation for the rape of minors to 30 years from 20 years</p>

<p>The leader further said that he may propose to set the age for sexual consent to 15 as there is no such law yet in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Further, changes may be made to administer rape and assault cases and create portals for victims to file complaints online before going to the police. Measure like &#39;on demand&#39; bus stops will also be proposed, wherein women will be allowed to stop the bus at any point to get home safely</p>

<p>French feminist group Osez le F&eacute;minisme said the measures were going in the right direction but must be accompanied by adequate funding.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Without funding, any communication, training, awareness or help plan for the victims will be useless,&rdquo; the statement said.</p>

<p>The conference also had a number of past victims who survived similar cases - a women who survived from being stabbed by her ex-partner, a mother of a student who was killed by her partner and set fire to her body after she ended the relationship, a Moroccan immigrant whose abusive husband burned down their home after she found the courage to flee to safety with their children, a Nigerian who was trafficked into a prostitution ring the day she set foot in Italy - were amongst some.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nearly 225,000 women are said to have been victims of physical or sexual violence by their partner in France, but fewer than one in five have made a complaint to authorities.</p>

<p>The Harvey Weinstein scandal in the United States has accelerated a rethink of attitudes toward sexual harassment in France, a country that cherishes its self-image as the land of seduction and romance.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


During his speech, Macron observed a minute?s silence for the 123 women killed by their partner or ex-partner in 2016.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, directed to carry out a slew of measures to fight against the "horrific and shameful" violence against women, and also pledged to make gender equality a major reason of his leadership. "Our entire society is sick with sexism," Macron said in a speech in Paris to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Macron started off the hour-long speech with a minute of silence to pay respect to the 123 women killed in 2016 in France by their partner or ex-partner, reports said. "France must no longer be one of those countries where women are afraid," he said. “Let’s seal a pact of equality between men and women,” Macron said in a speech marking the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. About violence and sexual abuse, he said: “It is essential that shame changes camp.” A number of measures have been announced, including education to secondary school children on pornography and making a systematic but easy system for victims to go to the police for rape and assault cases. Moreover, measures that may be added in a 2018 draft law could consist of criminalizing street harassment and increasing the statute of limitation for the rape of minors to 30 years from 20 years The leader further said that he may propose to set the age for sexual consent to 15 as there is no such law yet in the country. Further, changes may be made to administer rape and assault cases and create portals for victims to file complaints online before going to the police. Measure like 'on demand' bus stops will also be proposed, wherein women will be allowed to stop the bus at any point to get home safely French feminist group Osez le Féminisme said the measures were going in the right direction but must be accompanied by adequate funding. “Without funding, any communication, training, awareness or help plan for the victims will be useless,” the statement said. The conference also had a number of past victims who survived similar cases - a women who survived from being stabbed by her ex-partner, a mother of a student who was killed by her partner and set fire to her body after she ended the relationship, a Moroccan immigrant whose abusive husband burned down their home after she found the courage to flee to safety with their children, a Nigerian who was trafficked into a prostitution ring the day she set foot in Italy - were amongst some. Nearly 225,000 women are said to have been victims of physical or sexual violence by their partner in France, but fewer than one in five have made a complaint to authorities. The Harvey Weinstein scandal in the United States has accelerated a rethink of attitudes toward sexual harassment in France, a country that cherishes its self-image as the land of seduction and romance.

France's Macron unveils plan to combat 'shameful' violence against women

<p>Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60,&nbsp;is officially taking a &quot;six-month-long&quot;&nbsp;leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>&nbsp;accused the Pixar co-founder of&nbsp; &quot;grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.&quot;</p>

<p>According to <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had &quot;a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further wrote that: &quot;It&#39;s never easy to face your missteps, but it&#39;s the only way to learn from them. As a result, I&#39;ve been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It&#39;s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent,&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lassner also apologized to his peers, &quot;especially to those who had been ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected,&quot;&nbsp;he wrote in the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He finally concluded the statement saying: &quot;As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it&#39;s the best thing for all of us right now,&quot; he wrote. &quot;My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve.&quot;</p>

<p>Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney&rsquo;s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like &#39;Frozen&#39;, &#39;Toy Story&#39; and &#39;Coco&#39; - which releases on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>


That same day, The Hollywood Reporter reported accusations against Pixar co-founder for 'grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.'

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60, is officially taking a "six-month-long" leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday. The Hollywood Reporter accused the Pixar co-founder of "grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had "a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him." He further wrote that: "It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them. As a result, I've been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent," Lassner also apologized to his peers, "especially to those who had been ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected," he wrote in the statement. He finally concluded the statement saying: "As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it's the best thing for all of us right now," he wrote. "My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve." Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney’s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like 'Frozen', 'Toy Story' and 'Coco' - which releases on Thursday.

Pixar's John Lasseter takes leave of absence over misconduct allegations

<p>A round of discussion was&nbsp;started when Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy from Pakistan shared a series of tweets addressing the incident of her sister&#39;s visit to&nbsp;a hospital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It so happened that after Obaid-Chinoy&#39;s sister&#39;s treatment at a hospital in Pakistan, she received a friend request from the doctor on Facebook.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This led to a series of&nbsp;heated tweets by the filmmaker about sexual harassment. She mentioned&nbsp;how &#39;Pakistan has zero boundaries and that the doctors messed with the wrong women in the wrong wrong family&#39; in her tweets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She further added that she will file a report against the doctor.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Obaid-Chinoy&#39;s portrayal of the Facebook request as &#39;harassment&#39;&nbsp;set off an angry response from many Pakistanis saying that she had overreacted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Still I would say the term &quot;harassment&quot; is so cheap. you should not have used this word... next time be careful..</p>
&mdash; Muhammad Owais ???? (@xmowais) <a href="https://twitter.com/xmowais/status/925247710952919040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If ALL women in ur family R strong enough, then why didn&rsquo;t ur sister tweet her plea ? Why did u tweet ? Bcoz u thought u were more pwrful.</p>
&mdash; Mir Mohammad Alikhan (@POSITIVEiBANKER) <a href="https://twitter.com/POSITIVEiBANKER/status/925328613183979520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don&rsquo;t feel that sending friend request to a female on social media is a transgression. Sending annoying msgs/posts such comments for sure</p>
&mdash; Muhammad Bilal (@muhammadbellal) <a href="https://twitter.com/muhammadbellal/status/925305437225914368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">She had to make a stunt now and then to show the distorted face of Pakistan, to the west to get funding while west is far ahead of us</p>
&mdash; A.A.KHAN (@mbckhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mbckhan/status/925253167977295872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>However, she also had people in her support, asserting the frequent abusive response she received showed the misogyny of her critics.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is harassment</p>
&mdash; Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShahbazTaseer/status/925247931313160192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And to the ppl who are bringing Sharmeen&#39;s Oscars into this. Stop with the jealousy.</p>
&mdash; Myra Zafar (@MyraZafar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MyraZafar/status/925251837225250816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">More power to you. I am a doctor. Thanks for standing up for women who go through much worse in our hospitals.</p>
&mdash; Hassan (@HassanWaqar8) <a href="https://twitter.com/HassanWaqar8/status/925250091195265024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>She released detailed statement on &lsquo;tweeting, doctor-patient privilege, women and harassment&rsquo;, she wrote: &quot;My recent tweets about a doctor&rsquo;s inappropriate behaviour has drawn much comment and controversy. The conversation has unfortunately steered far from the safety of women, unchecked unethical practices &amp; harassment.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On tweeting, doctor-patient privilege, women and harassment <a href="https://t.co/2HoCK36wjb">pic.twitter.com/2HoCK36wjb</a></p>
&mdash; Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharmeenochinoy/status/925242089444651009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>She added: &ldquo;As a public figure I receive unsolicited friendship requests from strangers all the time, and never once have I brought that up, however, this request to my sister was under different circumstances.&quot; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Patients are vulnerable, especially women who trust a doctor to see them simply as a patient, in whatever medical state that may be. When that trust is broken it is a violation,&quot; Sharmeen continued.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Obaid later admitted that her&nbsp;words were poorly chosen, sources reported.</p>


A round of discussion was?started when Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy shared a series of tweets addressing the incident of her sisters visit to the hospital.

A round of discussion was started when Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy from Pakistan shared a series of tweets addressing the incident of her sister's visit to a hospital. It so happened that after Obaid-Chinoy's sister's treatment at a hospital in Pakistan, she received a friend request from the doctor on Facebook. This led to a series of heated tweets by the filmmaker about sexual harassment. She mentioned how 'Pakistan has zero boundaries and that the doctors messed with the wrong women in the wrong wrong family' in her tweets. She further added that she will file a report against the doctor. Obaid-Chinoy's portrayal of the Facebook request as 'harassment' set off an angry response from many Pakistanis saying that she had overreacted. Still I would say the term "harassment" is so cheap. you should not have used this word... next time be careful.. — Muhammad Owais ???? (@xmowais) October 31, 2017 × If ALL women in ur family R strong enough, then why didn’t ur sister tweet her plea ? Why did u tweet ? Bcoz u thought u were more pwrful. — Mir Mohammad Alikhan (@POSITIVEiBANKER) October 31, 2017 × I don’t feel that sending friend request to a female on social media is a transgression. Sending annoying msgs/posts such comments for sure — Muhammad Bilal (@muhammadbellal) October 31, 2017 × She had to make a stunt now and then to show the distorted face of Pakistan, to the west to get funding while west is far ahead of us — A.A.KHAN (@mbckhan) October 31, 2017 × However, she also had people in her support, asserting the frequent abusive response she received showed the misogyny of her critics. It is harassment — Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) October 31, 2017 × And to the ppl who are bringing Sharmeen's Oscars into this. Stop with the jealousy. — Myra Zafar (@MyraZafar) October 31, 2017 × More power to you. I am a doctor. Thanks for standing up for women who go through much worse in our hospitals. — Hassan (@HassanWaqar8) October 31, 2017 × She released detailed statement on ‘tweeting, doctor-patient privilege, women and harassment’, she wrote: "My recent tweets about a doctor’s inappropriate behaviour has drawn much comment and controversy. The conversation has unfortunately steered far from the safety of women, unchecked unethical practices & harassment." On tweeting, doctor-patient privilege, women and harassment pic.twitter.com/2HoCK36wjb — Sharmeen Obaid (@sharmeenochinoy) October 31, 2017 × She added: “As a public figure I receive unsolicited friendship requests from strangers all the time, and never once have I brought that up, however, this request to my sister was under different circumstances." "Patients are vulnerable, especially women who trust a doctor to see them simply as a patient, in whatever medical state that may be. When that trust is broken it is a violation," Sharmeen continued. Obaid later admitted that her words were poorly chosen, sources reported.

Watch: Can a Facebook friend request be 'harassment'?

On a bright day in downtown Kabul, Jagtar Singh Laghmani was in his traditional herb shop when a man turned up, drew a knife and told him to convert to Islam or he would cut his throat. Only bystanders and other shopkeepers saved his life.<br />
<br />
The incident earlier this month was the latest attack on a dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country struggling with growing insecurity caused by an Islamist insurgency and economic challenges.<br />
<br />
Once a thriving minority, only a handful of Sikh and Hindu families remain. Many have chosen to flee the country of their birth, blaming growing discrimination and intolerance.<br />
<br />
&quot;This is how we begin our day - with fear and isolation. If you are not a Muslim, you are not a human in their eyes,&quot; said Jagtar Singh, speaking in his tiny shop in the bustling centre of Kabul. &quot;I don&#39;t know what to do or where to go.&quot;<br />
<br />
For centuries, Hindu and Sikh communities played a prominent role in merchant trade and money lending in Afghanistan, although today they are known more for medicinal herb shops.<br />
<br />
According to Avtar Singh, chairman of the national council of Hindus and Sikhs, the community now numbers fewer than 220 families, compared with around 220,000 members before the collapse of the Kabul government in 1992.<br />
<br />
Once spread across the country, the community is now mainly concentrated in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Ghazni, and the capital Kabul.<br />
<br />
Although Afghanistan is almost entirely Muslim, its constitution, drawn up after US-led forces drove out the Taliban government in 2001, theoretically guarantees the right of minority religions to worship freely.<br />
<br />
But as the conflict drags on, Avtar Singh said conditions were worse than under the Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic laws, staged public executions and banned girls from schools.<br />
<br />
Hindus and Sikhs had to wear yellow patches that identified them in public, but were otherwise seldom bothered.<br />
<br />
&quot;The good old days have long gone when we were treated as Afghans, not as outsiders,&quot; Avtar Singh said from a temple in Kabul, all the while keeping an eye on visitors using monitors linked to security cameras.<br />
<br />
&quot;Our lands have been taken by powerful figures in the government, especially by the warlords. We are facing threats, and this small community is getting smaller and smaller every day,&quot; he added.<br />
<br />
Last week, dozens of Hindu and Sikh families left Helmand, where Taliban insurgents, who have a presence in much of the southern province, sent a letter demanding 200,000 Afghani ($2,800) a month from the community.<br />
<br />
<strong>HOSTILITY</strong><br />
<br />
Tensions have surfaced in Qalacha, an area on the outskirts of Kabul where the Sikh and Hindu community owns a high-walled crematorium.<br />
<br />
As the capital has expanded in recent years, the neighbourhood has become densely populated and some newer residents oppose Hindu and Sikh cremations, a practice foreign to Muslims, who bury their dead.<br />
<br />
&quot;When they burn the body the smell makes our family sick and we don&#39;t want this to happen here,&quot; said Ahmad Timor, a Muslim resident in Qalacha.<br />
<br />
The Sikhs say local Muslim hardliners have stirred up hostility against them, and the community now requires police protection for their funeral rituals.<br />
<br />
&quot;They throw stones and bricks at us, at the bodies of the dead, whenever there is a funeral,&quot; said Avtar Singh, pointing to a newly built house next to the crematorium.<br />
<br />
Dahi-ul Haq Abid, deputy minister for Haj and religious affairs, said the government had done what it could to improve the livelihood of Hindus and Sikhs.<br />
<br />
&quot;We agree that conflicts pushed them out of the country, but their condition is not as bad as they claim,&quot; Abid added.<br />
<br />
&quot;We have allocated them a place to burn their bodies because inside the city people complained about the smell, but they did not agree,&quot; he told Reuters.<br />
<br />
<strong>Harassment is also common</strong><br />
<br />
Jasmeet Singh, eight, stopped going to school because of what he said was daily harassment. He and other children from the community now either go to private schools or study inside the temple.<br />
<br />
&quot;While I was at school, other students were making fun of me. They were removing my turban, hitting me and calling me Hindu and kaffir (infidel),&quot; said Jasmeet Singh, as other boys nodded their heads in agreement.<br />
<br />
Increasing numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have moved to India, their spiritual homeland, but some say they remain foreigners wherever they go.<br />
<br />
&quot;When we go to India, we are known as Afghans, but when we are here, we are seen as outsiders even if we are native Afghan,&quot; said Baljit Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul. &quot;We are lost between both worlds.&quot;<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Under the Taliban there are public executions, girls can't attend school, and Hindus and Sikhs wear yellow patches in public

On a bright day in downtown Kabul, Jagtar Singh Laghmani was in his traditional herb shop when a man turned up, drew a knife and told him to convert to Islam or he would cut his throat. Only bystanders and other shopkeepers saved his life. The incident earlier this month was the latest attack on a dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country struggling with growing insecurity caused by an Islamist insurgency and economic challenges. Once a thriving minority, only a handful of Sikh and Hindu families remain. Many have chosen to flee the country of their birth, blaming growing discrimination and intolerance. "This is how we begin our day - with fear and isolation. If you are not a Muslim, you are not a human in their eyes," said Jagtar Singh, speaking in his tiny shop in the bustling centre of Kabul. "I don't know what to do or where to go." For centuries, Hindu and Sikh communities played a prominent role in merchant trade and money lending in Afghanistan, although today they are known more for medicinal herb shops. According to Avtar Singh, chairman of the national council of Hindus and Sikhs, the community now numbers fewer than 220 families, compared with around 220,000 members before the collapse of the Kabul government in 1992. Once spread across the country, the community is now mainly concentrated in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Ghazni, and the capital Kabul. Although Afghanistan is almost entirely Muslim, its constitution, drawn up after US-led forces drove out the Taliban government in 2001, theoretically guarantees the right of minority religions to worship freely. But as the conflict drags on, Avtar Singh said conditions were worse than under the Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic laws, staged public executions and banned girls from schools. Hindus and Sikhs had to wear yellow patches that identified them in public, but were otherwise seldom bothered. "The good old days have long gone when we were treated as Afghans, not as outsiders," Avtar Singh said from a temple in Kabul, all the while keeping an eye on visitors using monitors linked to security cameras. "Our lands have been taken by powerful figures in the government, especially by the warlords. We are facing threats, and this small community is getting smaller and smaller every day," he added. Last week, dozens of Hindu and Sikh families left Helmand, where Taliban insurgents, who have a presence in much of the southern province, sent a letter demanding 200,000 Afghani ($2,800) a month from the community. HOSTILITY Tensions have surfaced in Qalacha, an area on the outskirts of Kabul where the Sikh and Hindu community owns a high-walled crematorium. As the capital has expanded in recent years, the neighbourhood has become densely populated and some newer residents oppose Hindu and Sikh cremations, a practice foreign to Muslims, who bury their dead. "When they burn the body the smell makes our family sick and we don't want this to happen here," said Ahmad Timor, a Muslim resident in Qalacha. The Sikhs say local Muslim hardliners have stirred up hostility against them, and the community now requires police protection for their funeral rituals. "They throw stones and bricks at us, at the bodies of the dead, whenever there is a funeral," said Avtar Singh, pointing to a newly built house next to the crematorium. Dahi-ul Haq Abid, deputy minister for Haj and religious affairs, said the government had done what it could to improve the livelihood of Hindus and Sikhs. "We agree that conflicts pushed them out of the country, but their condition is not as bad as they claim," Abid added. "We have allocated them a place to burn their bodies because inside the city people complained about the smell, but they did not agree," he told Reuters. Harassment is also common Jasmeet Singh, eight, stopped going to school because of what he said was daily harassment. He and other children from the community now either go to private schools or study inside the temple. "While I was at school, other students were making fun of me. They were removing my turban, hitting me and calling me Hindu and kaffir (infidel)," said Jasmeet Singh, as other boys nodded their heads in agreement. Increasing numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have moved to India, their spiritual homeland, but some say they remain foreigners wherever they go. "When we go to India, we are known as Afghans, but when we are here, we are seen as outsiders even if we are native Afghan," said Baljit Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul. "We are lost between both worlds." (Reuters)

Afghanistan's dwindling Sikh, Hindu communities flee new abuses

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