FACETS
July 2018
The magazine for women.
#MeToo movement
How and why did #MeToo go viral? 5
#MeToo in Ames
ACTORS community theater brings to life unexpected commentary 11
#MeToo in the nation
Inequality, harassment and the ‘boys club’ in the car business 19
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The magazine for women. Contributors
RONNA LAWLESS ELIZABETH JOHNSTON GRAYSON SCHMIDT CAITLIN WARE Design
ALEX FELKER Publisher
SCOTT ANDERSON Tribune Editor
MICHAEL CRUMB
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Facets is a monthly publication of GateHouse Media Iowa Holdings.
The #MeToo movement By Ronna Lawless, GateHouse Iowa
The #MeToo movement brought to light the ugly truth about the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment, especially in the workplace. Despite the ugliness, there is a beauty in the way women and supportive men have used social media to advance a cause that has remained too long in the shadows. Women as a demographic do not form a homogenous group when it comes to politics, religion, lifestyle or interests. But we can all agree the workplace should be a safe, professional environment and not a place where women are sex objects. This month’s issue of Facets examines several sides of the #MeToo movement: • We look at the history of the movement’s activism, including the visit to Ames in March by Tarana Burke, who coined the term “me too” more than a decade before actress Alyssa Milano made it go viral on Twitter. • We hear from the Rev. Eileen Gebbie, senior minister at Ames United Church of Christ, about how we can teach our daughters to feel empowered and use their voices, and make them realize that it’s not necessary for everyone to like them. • Iowa State University gender studies professor Alissa Stoehr tells us she believes work environments have been permanently changed by the brave women who shared their #MeToo stories. • We learn about how #MeToo has caused positive changes to how sexual assault reports are handled on the Iowa State University campus. • And we discover how the ACTORS production of “9 to 5, The Musical” still has themes that are relevant to the experiences of women in the workplace almost 40 years after it was originally made into a film.
ON THE COVER
Protesters crowd the capitol steps in Des Moines in January 2017 as part of the Women’s March movement in several cities across the country to protest the proposed policies of President Donald Trump. AMES TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
FACETS • Table of contents #MeToo movement overview 5 8
#MeToo movement goes viral, then sees continued support
The power of social media to change. Read Tarana Burke’s story and more.
Finally finding their ‘voice.’ What does the #MeToo movement mean for women?
Facets sits down with Iowa State University professor Alissa Stoehr.
#MeToo in Ames
#MeToo in the nation
11 ‘9 to 5’ sounds themes of #MeToo
19 Strip joints, stupidity
15 ISU’s approach to assault reports
21 Harassment in the tech field
17 #MeToo and the next generation
23 ‘Incredibles 2’ and #MeToo
How Ames’ community theater made some unexpected commentary. How did the #MeToo movement affect sexual assault issues on campus? How are youth a part of #MeToo, and what’s important for them?
The story of inequality in the ‘boys club’ car business. Science, engineering, the medical industry — how bad is it? Voice actors answer questions, and discuss the film’s impact.
A protester holds up a sign during the Women’s March at the capitol in Des Moines in January 2017. AMES TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
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#MeToo movement
Tarana Burke speaks during The Women’s Convention at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit last year. Burke #MeToo activist Tarana Burke spoke in Ames addresses the audience at the in March. March to End Rape Culture/ PHOTO Slut Walk in Philadelphia 2014. BY JUNFU HAN/ Burke DETROITspoke FREE in Ames in March. PRESS/TNS CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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#MeToo movement
#MeToo movement goes viral, then sees continued support
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n 2017, actress Alyssa Milano shared a tweet encouraging sexual assault survivors to use the hashtag #MeToo on social media to bring awareness to sexual assault. Her suggestion was in response to accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, and the hashtag quickly began to trend and grow into a larger movement of social awareness and female activism. On Oct. 15, Milano tweeted “Me too. Suggested by a friend: ‘If all women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too.’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.’” Within one day the post received more than 38,000 comments, 13,000 retweets and 27,000 likes. Within hours of posting, the hashtag was the top trending topic on Twitter, where many other users — including celebrities and other public figures — were tweeting their own #MeToo stories. The post also quickly made its way over to Facebook where over 70,000 users had posted under
the #MeToo topic within 12 hours. Years before Milano made #MeToo go viral, in 2006, activist Tarana Burke was the first to use the phrase in relation to sexual assault. Burke was one of the many female activists who were featured in Time magazine as it named “Silence Breakers” the 2017 Person of the Year. She spoke at Stephens Auditorium on March 26 and continued her push for breaking the silence surrounding sexual assault. About 800 people were in attendance for Burke’s speech, which explained that the #MeToo movement is aimed at raising awareness about sexual assault, holding abusers and harassers accountable, and giving survivors a voice. Burke reflected on a moment in 1996 when a girl she calls Heaven confided to her about being sexually assaulted. At the time, Burke didn’t know how to respond, but now she wishes she would have said: “This happened to me too.” “I felt like I let her down,” Burke told the audience at
By Ronna Lawless GateHouse Iowa
SUPPORT, page 7
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#MeToo on the move movement
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Thousands of people made their way to the state capitol in Des Moines in January 2017 to take part in the Women’s March which lined up with dozens of other events around the country. AMES TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
#MeToo movement An EEOC study found in 2017 that one in every four women experience sexual harassment in the workplace. A similar poll found one in 10 men experience sexual harassment as well. SUPPORT, continued from page 5
Stephens. “It didn’t feel like enough and I never saw her again.” Raised in the Bronx, N.Y., Burke joined the 21st Century Leaders when she was in high school. The organization was formed by veterans of previous movements who were looking for ways to pass on their legacies. Years later, Burke would work for the 21st Century Leaders, which is where she met Heaven. Weekly “sister to sister, brother to brother” meetings at 21st Century Leaders allowed individuals to share their personal stories. Every year during these conversations, Burke would see at least one girl share her story about being sexually assaulted. “Even though I was a survivor, I was oblivious to it,” Burke said, during her visit to ISU. In 2006 Burke founded the organization Just Be Inc. which helps young women of color who have survived sexual trauma and is currently the senior director of programs at the Brooklyn-based Girls for Gender Equality. Burke’s appearance at Stephens Auditorium was sponsored by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, Program for Women in Science and Engineering, Student Health and Wellness, the University Library, the women’s and gender studies program, the YWCA Ames- ISU, the national affairs series and the Committee on Lectures. On Jan. 1, more than 300 women in Hollywood unveiled the #TimesUp movement, an initiative to end sexual harassment and abuse in work environments. They announced the movement via an Instagram post that gained more than 6,800 likes the first day. The #TimesUp movement has the support of major Hollywood celebrities like Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. It focuses on victims of harassment and abuse in less-visible industries than Hollywood. A legal defense fund was created by the movement which provides subsidies for victims of harassment. The women’s marches that have occurred for the past two Januarys, the #MeToo movement and the #TimesUp initiative experienced what seemed to be instant support, but activists like Burke say that “instant” success was generations in the making. Based on ongoing, successful fundraising efforts by the organizations involved, the passion
for the women’s movement does not show signs of slowing. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, sexual harassment in the workplace is still a problem of major significance for American women. An EEOC study found in 2017 that one in every four women experience sexual harassment in the workplace. A similar poll found one in 10 men experience sexual harassment as well. A fourth of men are concerned of becoming falsely accused of sexual harassment. According to the EEOC, $52.3 million dollars in damages were received from claims in sexual harassment in 2011. There were 11,364 claims filed that year — 94 percent of them by women.
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#MeToo movement
Finally finding their ‘voice’ What does #MeToo mean for women?
By Caitlin Ware GateHouse Iowa
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ince October 2017, when the hashtag #MeToo went viral online, public revelations of sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile public officials and figures, and stories shared by victims of abuse have rocked headlines nationwide. The #MeToo movement, created by New York native Tarana Burke, has been around since 2006, and was started as a way to help survivors of sexual violence — particularly young women of color from low income communities — find pathways to healing and know they are not alone. But in recent months, what started as a grassroots effort to combat sexual violence has been thrust into a national dialogue, to de-stigmatize the act of surviving and increase awareness of sexual violence. And the progress being made
as more victims begin to come forward to share their stories, and initiatives to prevent and address sexual violence gain traction, the movement could have a chance to impact the workplace environment as a whole for women moving forward, according to Iowa State University professor Alissa Stoehr. “Women have always been disenfranchised throughout history, that’s where discrimination comes from, that’s where sexual harassment comes from,” said Stoehr, who teaches classes about women’s studies for ISU’s Women’s and Gender Studies program, among other courses. “Too many women (have been) socialized to not question VOICE, page 9
A protester holds up his sign during Women’s March at the capitol in Des Moines in January 2017. An estimated 10,000 people gathered at the capitol as part of a nationwide movement to protest the proposed policies of President Donald Trump. AMES TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
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#MeToo movement ‘I would hope that when survivors see more and more people in power and privilege being held accountable, they’ll keep moving to have something done.’ VOICE, continued from page 8
authority. We’re socialized to ‘stay in our lanes.’ Some even go so far as to say, ‘You shouldn’t work anyway, you should be home taking care of your children.’ Which is fine if that’s what you choose to do. But if you choose to go into the workforce, you should be able to do so without fear of harassment.” Up until recently, too often people of authority and privilege have not been held accountable for their actions, Stoehr said. And when it comes to the workplace, where many people spend the majority of their time, the situation can be compounded, through positions of authority not believing reports of sexual abuse, stalking or domestic violence — or even being the perpetrator. Or worse, people are often too scared to even report incidents due to fear of not being believed or action not being taken. And oftentimes, in the midst of sexual violence taking place within the workplace, victims are left with no immediate options due to not being able to find another job or get help at their current one. But with the recent arrest of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein (accused of sexually abusing and harassing more than 70 women), the recent guilty verdict handed down to actor Bill Cosby (found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman) and accusations of sexual assault against actor Kevin Spacey, a precedent is beginning to be set for accountability, Stoehr said. “I would hope that when survivors see more and more people in power and privilege being held accountable, they’ll keep moving to have something done,” Stoehr said. “But again, when this has happened in private, you don’t want to lose your job, or you work at Burger King, and that’s the only job you can get, all these different things. “But I think you will slowly see more and more people that maybe are in disenfranchised identities find the power to continue the fight and continue to speak out.” Although there is no way to tell if increased awareness and efforts to eliminate sexual violence will have an impact on more women joining predominantly male employment fields, like construction or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) roles, Stoehr said that at the very least, an opportunity now exists through the #MeToo movement for people to speak up. Depending on individual comfort levels, involvement in the movement can be anything from speaking about personal experiences in different spaces, supporting others who might not have the strength to share theirs yet,
listening to and believing survivors and being supportive of educational programs dedicated to fighting sexual violence. At ISU, the Green Dot initiative works to decrease power-based personal violence on campus by utilizing education, outreach, and development to increase awareness and competency around bystander intervention skills. Perhaps most importantly, now more than ever, people need to support each other, Stoehr said, particularly individuals with historically disenfranchised identities, including women of color, transgender women, women with disabilities and males who have been abused. “All of these things have been happening throughout history, they’ve always been happening,” Stoehr said. “But people are finally finding their voice through the #MeToo movement to find the strength to talk about it. People are finally standing up for themselves and saying enough is enough.”
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#MeToo in Ames
ACTORS’s production of “9 to 5, The Musical,” starred Coral Thede as Doralee, Kris VerSteegt as Violet and Katharine Bergman as Judy. PHOTO COURTESY ACTORS
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#MeToo in Ames
‘9 to 5’ sounds themes of #MeToo, Time’s Up
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s ACTORS closed its 62nd season in June, the community theater group presented the comedy “9 to 5, The Musical,” the plot of which is nearly four decades old but — in light of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements — is as relevant today as it was when it first hit movie screens in 1980. The old office equipment from the props department and polyester fabric in the costumes clearly date the setting to the late-1970s, but the sexual harassment hits on current themes. The Ames production featured three female lead characters, Katharine Bergman as Judy, Coral Thede as Doralee and Kris VerSteegt as Violet, of Gowrie, Des Moines and Ames, respectively. Appropriately enough, it also had female leadership behind the scenes, including three Ames women: director Kathy Norris, assistant director Lynn Lloyd and music director Julie Minot. “Even though this musical is set in 1979, the themes of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and female empowerment are still major topics, like they were in the ‘80s when ‘9 to 5’ the movie came out,” said Norris. “Our production is funny and entertaining, but it’s also uplifting to see our three leading actors embodying the roles and
By Ronna Lawless
taking back their power.” “9 to 5, The Musical” followed the same plot as the movie. Judy, Doralee and Violet — made famous in the movie by Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin — decide that they must get even with their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot” boss, Franklin Hart. Violet fantasizes about poisoning Hart, and when he falls and hits his head, she thinks she is at fault. That’s where the story becomes outlandish and hysterical. The ladies decide to hold Hart as a prisoner and take over the company. The 1980 film, and the Parton’s theme song that is synonymous with it, became an anthem for female empowerment since the 1980s. A remake of the film is in the works, with plans to make it relevant to a younger audience of filmgoers.
GateHouse Iowa
ACTORS, page 14
Director Kathy Norris and Assistant Director Lynn Lloyd look at costumes prior to the opening night of “9 to 5, The Musical.” PHOTO COURTESY ACTORS
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#MeToo in Ames
Coral Thede, Katharine Bergman and Kris VerSteegt rehearse a scene in “9 to 5, The Musical.” PHOTO COURTESY ACTORS
ACTORS, continued from page 11
Bergman played Judy Bernly, Fonda’s role in the film, the new woman in the office, who is forced into the workforce after her husband has an affair with his young secretary. VerSteegt played Violet, the role made famous by Tomlin. A widow with four kids, Violet has been working at the company for 12 years. She is knowledgeable about the company and was the one who trained Hart. Despite her expertise and experience, she is continually passed over for promotions, due to Hart’s sexist attitudes. In the role of Doralee, Thede reprises Parton’s character, a secretary who is presumed to be sleeping with Hart, despite the fact that she has refused his advances. Because of this, she is looked down on by most of the other women in the office, but this changes after she becomes friends with Violet and Judy. Parton wrote the songs for the musical stage adaptation of the film. In September of 2008, “9 to 5, The Musical” opened in Los Angeles, with Allison Janney starring as Violet, Stephanie J. Block as Judy and Megan Hilty as Doralee. The book for “9 to 5, The Musical” was written by Patricia Resnick, who co-authored the film. 14 | FACETS | JULY 2018
According to playbill.com, the musical opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in previews in April 2009. A national tour began in September 2010. It’s not just the three leads who are suffering in “9 to 5.” One of their female colleagues is fired for disclosing her salary and speculating about its paucity in comparison to her underqualified superiors. Doralee, Violet and Judy kidnap their boss, hold him hostage and become the acting bosses themselves. They put in place an extensive list of office policy improvements. After re-hiring the colleague who revealed her salary, they compose a memo that begins: “Effective immediately, employees will be paid equal salaries for equal job levels.” They establish an on-site daycare facility, institute parttime work, job sharing and flexible hours programs that permit a more diverse group of workers to achieve more balanced lives. It’s a corporate utopia that most companies fall far short of even 40 years later, Norris said. “Hopefully there will come a time when the male dominated workplace and sexual harassment themes will be foreign to women,” Norris said. “In many ways ’9 to 5’ is an incredibly funny show but it’s also amazingly inspirational.”
#MeToo in Ames
How #MeToo changed ISU’s approach to assault reports Increased reporting a sign of changing times
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s someone who started working with sexual assault survivors well before the topic made its way into the daily conversation of major media outlets, Iowa State University Administrative Advisor Mary Sirna can speak first hand of all the good that the #MeToo movement has done, and how it has impacted the work she does with the ISU Sexual assault Response Team (SART). “The #MeToo movement provided a catalyst for change and let victims know they were not alone,” Sirna said. According to Sirna, SART started over 20 years ago and is comprised of specially trained professionals from multiple agencies who work together to provide a community coordinated response to reports of sexual assault. And members of SART represent the fields of law enforcement, healthcare, advocacy and prosecution and are employed in the public and private sectors (univerNew ACCESS Executive Director Tess sity, city and Cody in her office. PHOTO BY GRAYSON county governSCHMIDT/AMES TRIBUNE ments, medical clinics and nonprofits). Though Sirna said the actual procedure has not changed a lot over the years, the number of professionals has increased dramatically, which she said has allowed SART to offer 24/7 coverage. “We continue to strive to provide a consistent, compassionate and professional initial contact for victims reporting sexual assault,” Sirna said. “Most jurisdictions don’t have the ability, manpower or sometimes the interest to support 24/7 SART coverage.” In addition to the #MeToo movement empowering sexual abuse victims to come forward, ISU Police initiatives including the 2017 Spring Campaign “We Care;
By Grayson Schmidt GateHouse Iowa
Please Tell Us” as well as the ongoing “Start by Believing” Campaign. According to Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support (ACCESS) Director Tess Cody, the #MeToo movement has not had a major impact on the work the organization does, as she said its whole mission is to believe and assist sexual assault survivors. But as with Sirna, what she said the movement has brought is empowerment for survivors, which was difficult to accomplish in the past from an outreach standpoint. “You see increased reporting on college campuses, and you see colleges really refining their reporting process and you see more options for accommodations to be made,” Cody said. “Our agency is all about what is it that will help you be a successful, whole person, and so in that way, I would say that there maybe have been some shifts in the last few years.” ACCESS provides the advocacy component of SART and is able to handle both the criminal and university processes, and advocates work regularly with students to navigate both processes. For Cody, ACCESS has always been an organization that has been in the corner of every sexual assault victim, but now with national movements, that number of people in the victim’s corner has hopefully grown so that support is still provided when ACCESS advocates cannot be there. “What’s really amazing about this moment in history is that there are greater numbers of community members learning about supporting people and what to do when a friend comes to them,” Cody said. “I think we see an amazing capacity of friends and family that could be tapped back into recognizing that people need support.” FACETS | JULY 2018 | 15
#MeToo in Ames
Elizabeth Wolfe at the Planned Parenthood Health Center in Ames. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH JOHNSON
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#MeToo in Ames
#MeToo movement and the next generation Ames youth leaders speak out about abuse, education, healthy relationships
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t’s a worldwide movement that started with a conversation and was catapulted by a tweet. The movement is #MeToo, and it is affecting the next generation’s education about sexual harassment and abuse. The movement began in 2006 when activist Tarana Burke had a conversation with a 13-year-old sexual abuse victim. This conversation spurred Burke to create the movement #MeToo, and a nonprofit organization called This Be Inc. to help victims of sexual violence. Last year, multiple women— prominently actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd— accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of forced sexual advances. Investigations by The New York Times found allegations against Weinstein had been reported and documented for almost three decades. Following this story, last October, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Thousands of responses were submitted across several social media platforms. This tweet, along with The New York Times breaking Weinstein’s story, made the #MeToo movement explode worldwide. In May, Weinstein was arrested on rape charges against three women. According to the New York Times, Weinstein could face five to 25 years in prison if convicted. Raising children in the midst of an impactful movement affects their knowledge of sexual abuse and harassment. With allegations erupting everywhere against CEO’s, coworkers, politicians, talk show hosts and others, children are hearing about the movement. Sexual violence is in the public spotlight, and it is important children understand what it means now and for their futures as men and women. The Rev. Eileen Gebbie, senior minister at Ames United Church of Christ, is not surprised by a single story she’s heard regarding the movement. She said male abuse of women is “so entrenched” in everyday life and the fact that change is happening is filling her heart with hope. Gebbie sees that women who are abused are scared to speak out because they are afraid of suffering some loss— whether that be their job, status, or people liking them. “We have to be willing to not be liked. Girls need to know not to worry about being liked. It’s just not worth it,”
By Elizabeth Johnston GateHouse Iowa
Gebbie said. “Say something. There’s nothing that you have done wrong, there’s nothing you’ve done, nothing you’ve worn, nothing you’ve said to justify being touched or being insulted.” Gebbie believes the movement is doing a lot of good for children who are hearing about it. “It is so good that they are hearing about women saying, ‘No more,’ and about men being held accountable for their actions,” she said. “Kids hear it all, and they are paying GENERATION, page 18
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#MeToo in Ames GENERATION, continued from page 17
attention to who’s talking about it and how they’re talking about it.” Elizabeth Wolfe is a health educator at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. She works all around central Iowa to teach children and adults about healthy relationships free of sexual abuse and harassment. When educating children, Wolfe stresses the importance to children of knowing the rights of their bodies and the different forms that sexual violence can take in their relationships — these can be with friends, relatives and other people they know. “One of the topics that I talk about the most in healthy relationships is consent and what that means at different ages and in different contexts,” Wolfe said. “Your body is your own and no one has the right to touch it. You get to say
how it’s being touched.” Wolfe teaches children the importance of their rights using the Children Assault Prevention (CAP) program, run by Blank Children’s Hospital. Wolfe teaches elementary students that they have the right to be safe, strong and free. She teaches how to clearly say no, be assertive and establish their boundaries while also having respect for the boundaries of others. Outside of the CAP program, Wolfe teaches other students of all ages. One topic Wolfe teaches on is warning signs of sexual violence, using different scenarios so her students can clearly understand the signs. When Wolfe hears about students breaking up in their dating relationships after taking her lessons, she knows their eyes are being opened to the warning signs in their own relationships. “These are topics that are important for both genders,” she said.
Thousands of people made their way to the state capitol in Des Moines to take part in the Women’s March which lined up with dozens of other events around the country in January 2017. AMES TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
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#MeToo in the nation
Strip joints, stupidity
By Jamie L. LaReau Detroit Free Press
Boys club lingers in the car business
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espite the female rallying cries of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, the male-dominated auto business remains plagued by inappropriate to illegal behavior against women in the workplace, experts said. In fact, women compose barely more than a quarter of all auto industry employees, and data show that’s not growing. Those in the industry tell of being ogled, business outings by male colleagues to strip joints or more subtle issues, such as desk locations at dealerships that make sales less likely. The lingering troubles were highlighted in June when an arbitrator ruled that auto supplier Visteon had reason to fire its former CEO Timothy Leuliette for downloading pornography and soliciting prostitutes on his work computer. While behavior such as Leuliette’s is “not really sexual harassment,” said Jody DeVere, CEO of Askpatty.com, it begs the question, “Can you imagine what his leadership is doing to the company culture?” Askpatty.com offers women car-buying advice and trains and certifies dealers on effective communication with women. The bad behavior in the industry happens from the factory floor to the executive suites at auto manufacturing companies, suppliers and dealerships, experts said. It often is more subtle than it was two decades ago because of increased training meant to ward off sexual harassment and discrimination. Still, it happens, and in many cases men and women are complicit in “a wink-wink, nod-nod” culture that endures, said DeVere. “It can start off with him calling you honey or baby and sending you unwanted emails,” said DeVere. “The real troublesome ones I hear about is when it is the boss doing it. When I get the call, it’s usually escalated to something terrible.”
far only, woman to run an automaker. Then, on Wednesday, GM named Dhivya Suryadevara, 39, to succeed retiring CFO Chuck Stevens, 58. She will become CFO effective Sept. 1. In its sustainability report, GM said: “General Motors invests in leader skills development through its Women in Action Initiative, which attracted more than 6,700 employee participants. And 32 percent of top leadership positions at General Motors are held by women.” But women still struggle to break into other traditional male jobs. “For years, you wouldn’t consider having a female service technician (at a dealership), but many women are going to school to learn it, yet can’t get a job,” said DeVere. “They’re told they wouldn’t fit in. That’s a cultural problem.” Some instances are more overt.Last December, Ford CARS, page 20
UNEVEN PROGRESS The advancement of female employees has not improved much either in the automotive industry over the past decade, said Scotty Reiss, founder of agirlsguidetocars.com, a website that coaches women on car ownership issues. “The biggest changes are at the top level of bigger companies,” Reiss said. “But in the smaller companies, change has been very slow” to open jobs to women as well as promote a professional and inclusive culture. On the flip side, General Motors and Toyota are examples of companies that have made strides in hiring women in nontraditional female jobs such as engineering, Reiss said. Most notably, in 2014 General Motors tapped Mary Barra as its chairman and CEO, making her the first, and so FACETS | JULY 2018 | 19
#MeToo in the nation CARS, continued from page 19
apologized to its employees for sexual harassment at two Chicago plants. Ford’s apology came after a New York Times article cited interviews with more than 70 current and former workers who detailed sexual harassment incidents and retaliation at Chicago Assembly and Chicago Stamping.
27 PERCENT OF WORKERS Women represent about 27 percent of people working in automotive professions despite the fact that women make or influence 85 percent of all car purchases, Reiss said. And the number of women joining the auto industry workforce rose just 1 percent from five years ago, added DeVere. “Women don’t feel comfortable on the (employment) side of the business,” said Reiss. “It’s not always a great culture for women.” At car dealerships, there tends to be “a fraternity house environment or a locker room environment,” Reiss said. That sports team mentality is “not how women operate.” “I hear horror stories,” Reiss said. “The most common thing I hear is that a boss will have an expectation for sales or work performance from a woman and then it’s made very hard for them to achieve it.”
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For example, at a dealership a woman might be required to hit a sales target each month. But she is given a desk near the back of the showroom where she cannot see arriving customers, Reiss said. “But the No. 1 sales guy has a desk right near the front door,” Reiss said. “Often, women feel the game is set against them.”
INCLUSIVE CONVERSATIONS Another disadvantage women face is exclusion from business conversations men have at events to which women are not typically invited, such as golfing — or going to a strip club. To level the playing field, women must push for those meetings to be in a location where everyone can participate. “It’s up to us as women to have that conversation so that we’re included in everything,” said Reiss. The car industry also seems to permit behavior that is not seen in other industries, said DeVere. Case in point, this past March DeVere said she attended the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Las Vegas. She was dressed professionally, yet she said as she walked through the convention show floor, “Men were checking me out from head to toe. I don’t have that experience any place else. It was quite disturbing, yet we are part of the culture where that’s OK.” It’s OK because people in the industry allow it, she said, including executives.
#MeToo in the nation
Commentary: How bad is sexual harassment in the tech fields?
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June study puts the fields of science, engineering and medicine under the #MeToo sexual-harassment microscope, and the results are distressing, depressing and not surprising at all. According to a 300-page report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, life for women in the hallowed halls of our universities and research institutions is a nasty and thoroughly familiar minefield of gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion. It turns out that some of our country’s brightest minds are just as capable of beastly behavior as your garden variety Hollywood mogul, TV anchor or Washington politician. And since we’re talking about science, engineering and medicine, there is solid research to back it up. “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Med-
By Karla Peterson The San Diego Union-Tribune
Diego-based BVS, Inc., which is hosting “Women Breaking the Boundaries of Science,” a June 28 event that will feature a panel discussion on “What Are the Implications of the Me Too Movement in the Life Sciences?” “In this community, there are people who are doing these magnificent things, and you think, ‘How am I going to go up against this great giant who has all this funding and all this respect?’ There are people who are so well-respected that some other aspects get overlooked.” Like the women who say they suffered through traumatic or inappropriate encounters with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, celebrity chef Mario Batali or respected Salk Institute for Biological Studies researcher Inder Verma, many of the women in the National Academies study did not formally report their experiences when they happened. The fallout was predictable, too. The women in the new study reported becoming stressed. Their productivity
About 20 percent of female science students, more than a quarter of female engineering students and more than 40 percent of female medical students experienced sexual harassment from faculty or staff. icine” brings us the predictable news that the current policies, procedures and approaches used to combat sexual harassment in these male-dominated fields have not resulted in a significant reduction in abusive behaviors. How bad is it? In a survey of graduate and undergraduates in the University of Texas System, about 20 percent of female science students, more than a quarter of female engineering students and more than 40 percent of female medical students experienced sexual harassment from faculty or staff. A survey of the Pennsylvania State University found that 33 percent of its female undergraduate students, 43 percent of its female graduate students and an alarming 50 percent of its female medical students experienced sexual harassment from faculty or staff. “Because of the really high level of intelligence (in these fields), I think there are a lot of narcissistic people who are all about their research, and they think they are above it,” said Pamela Gardner, president and CEO of the San
declined. Students dropped classes or dropped out. Some women left their chosen fields entirely. What happens when 58 percent of women faculty and staff in all fields of academia experience sexual harassment? This new report shows us that everyone suffers. We suffer because of all the research that isn’t being done, the discoveries that aren’t being made and the brains that are not being tapped because women can’t devote all of their passions to the work they love. And institutions need to “take explicit steps” to make gender and racial equity in hiring and promotions a priority. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine might want pay special attention to that one. According to the Washington Post, the average member of the organization — which provides scientific advice to our government’s executive and legislative branches — is 72 years old and male. I don’t need a 300-page report to remind me how wrong that is. Or how much of a surprise it isn’t. FACETS | JULY 2018 | 21
Elastigirl out of “Incredibles 2.” PHOTO COURTESY DISNEY-PIXAR/TNS
22 | FACETS | JULY 2018
#MeToo in the nation
How the stars re-aligned for ‘Incredibles 2’
By Josh Rottenberg Los Angeles Times
And what the film means for the #MeToo movement
W
EST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The buzz was enthusiastic verging on ecstatic. The tracking suggested a potentially record-breaking opening. But days before the release of the long-awaited Pixar sequel “Incredibles 2,” writer-director Brad Bird was feeling less incredible than simply relieved. “Before I made films, I thought these moments would be like gleeful leaping from room to room,” Bird said last week in a West Hollywood suite with the film’s voice stars, Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L. Jackson. “But all you feel is, ‘Thank God I didn’t bone it.’ That’s really it.” Fourteen years after the original “Incredibles” grossed $633 million worldwide and earned the Oscar for animated feature, the film’s fans are finally getting the sequel they have long craved — and at times doubted would ever come. “Incredibles 2” sees all-too-human superheroes — parents Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Nelson) and Helen Parr/ Elastigirl (Hunter), their three children and stalwart friend Lucius Best/Frozone (Jackson) — return to battle evil as if not a minute has gone by. This time, Elastigirl charges boldly into the fray while Mr. Incredible stays home, to his frequent exasperation, with kids Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack. The Times spoke with Bird, Hunter, Nelson and Jackson — who share an easy rapport despite almost never having worked together at the same time — about the long road to the sequel, the joys and challenges of voice work and how “Incredibles 2” might resonate in the #MeToo era and a landscape awash with superheroes. Q: There’s no way you could have anticipated where the zeitgeist would be when you were working on the movie, but the story’s female-empowerment aspect feels very timely. How do you think that’ll resonate with audiences? Hunter: Well, to me, this doesn’t feel like a message movie in any way, but with Time’s Up and #MeToo and these movements that are happening now, obviously it is not a bad thing for people to have these things expressed as completely and as specifically as they are in this movie. I love the role reversal (between Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible). It is great for people to see that. Bird: Hopefully you make things for 100 years from now. You’re not trying to serve the zeitgeist of the moment. You’re trying to get into something that’s more eternal. Elastigirl is still the same character as in the first movie — she’s not a different person because of what’s changing
around society now. The goal was really to bring out a somewhat dormant side of her and to also throw Bob into a really uncomfortable position just because it’s entertaining. And dads are important. Not enough people talk about the importance of dads stepping up. Hunter: I hate the term “Mr. Mom.” That drives me insane. It’s so diminishing. A father staying at home and raising children — this movie expresses just how enormous of a task it is. It’s heroic. Nelson: (dryly) It’s really difficult if you’re a certain kind of person. Q: The rapport between the characters is so strong, it’s surprising that you haven’t recorded together more. Hunter: I think there’s just a vocal compatibility that Brad heard. Bird: All of these guys are great vocal actors as well as great screen actors. They’ve all played many different roles, but there’s a certain something they bring that’s specific to them that I really wanted for these characters. I remember reading an interview with another director (who said), “If you write a character for someone specific, it never works out. No one you want is going to say yes and then you’re hosed.” But these are the people I heard in my head. I asked and they said yes. I got lucky. Q: What’s your feeling when you see the extent to which comic-book movies have come to dominate the studio system? Bird: Well, Hollywood has a long tradition of beating successful things to death. If you go back to the late ’50s, every other TV show was a Western. That’s just what Hollywood does. That said, while westerns were getting way overdone, some of the best westerns were made during that period: “The Searchers,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” “Ride the High Country.” I think (comic-book films) are taking up too much of the bandwidth of movies. But there are films like “Logan” and “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” that are worth seeing and are doing something. It’s all down to the storytellers, I think. Jackson: Hollywood has always been Hollywood. When I was a kid, I saw double features on the weekend of all sorts of stuff: westerns, pirate films, “Robin Hood,” Abbot and Costello, horror movies. But the genres haven’t changed that much. It’s about the stories. This interview has been condensed and edited. FACETS | JULY 2018 | 23