It seems like almost every day, there’s another salacious story of prominent figures accused of sexual harassment. Why is it happening? And, what can be done to turn this tsunami around? WGN’s Gaynor Hall and her team have spent months researching this.
It’s clear that sexual harassment is nothing new. But, the conversations surrounding it have changed. As to how to change the behavior, there’s a growing body of research that points to gender equity, and lessons that start early.
Holding people accountable is necessary but not enough. Gary Barker, president and CEO of Promundo-US, said sexual harassment is rooted in gender inequity, which means pay gaps must be addressed along with equal representation in government and management, and paid parental leave policies. He said men should be encouraged to be caregivers and abandon rigid gender roles.
Producer Pam Grimes, and photojournalists Mike D’Angelo, Steve Scheuer, Kevin Doellman, and Nelson Howard contributed to this report.
Special thanks to Veronica Arreola from the University of Illinois Chicago for her guidance.
Please click the links below for even more information:
OPTIONS 4 YOUTH: options4youth.org
GARY BARKER’S DAVOS TALK 2018: promundoglobal.org
CHICAGO MAYOR’S MENTORING INITATIVE: cityofchicago.org
GARY BARKER’S TEDX TALK (2013): youtube.com
DOCUMENTARY: “THE MASK YOU LIVE IN” TRAILER: youtube.com
