Does Australia’s creative industry protect the predators?
This article is based on lived experience. It references emotional abuse, grooming, sexual assault and rape within the Australian creative industry. It refers to data from reputable sources that can be referenced throughout.
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Writer Ella Campbell discusses the challenges women must fight in the face of misogyny.
The Australian creative industry lets a significant number of serious sexual assault and harassment cases go by unpunished, with predators unscathed. There has never been a better time to look at this behaviour, endemic to our industry and others, than International Women’s Day. The icing on the cupcake is growing thin.
In 2018, the Human Rights Commission found that 80% of people working in or on the fringes of our industry have experienced sexual harassment. That is a significantly higher figure than the national average rate of 33%.
Three years later, following the height of the #MeToo movement, women’s rights organisation and publication, The Mavens, conducted a study. They found little had changed. Findings revealed that 45% of respondents had been bullied, 42% had been abused either physically or verbally, and 27% had been sexually assaulted throughout their career. Coupled with a research report released by shEqual, it’s clear that the significant majority of these discriminatory, abusive and violent acts are against women.
Thank you for sharing your story. There’s no words to express my sadness for what happened to you – but I will use my anger and I will shout this from the rooftops:
We don’t need to protect our daughters, we need to educate our sons.
Thank you, Sophie.
That’s all I can say without crying. Thank you.
Ella you are brave and amazing. I had the same horrendous experience in the creative industry decades ago that changed the trajectory my life. Different era but all the characters, culture and behaviours remain the same. It’s time to speak up for the sake of all young women starting their careers in whatever field they choose.
Gosh this really rings true. Thank you for breaking it down and sharing your story. I hope the perpetrators get their justice and this never happens again
Thanks for sharing your story @Ella Campbell. This is very real and I, too, have experienced sexual abuse, financial disadvantage, discrimination, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and now without the financial means that my perpetrators are sitting pretty with and without any consequence to them. I get it completely.
My POV is though that making noise is not working. We need bigger changes than this and being a female focused campaign like #shEqual is in my experience (and with the data supporting it) – doing more harm than good. We have research and data that says that we are going backwards from as far back as 1991 and feminine gendered, biased, activism is failing us. We need more inclusive solutions and we need to also acknowledge that there are some men being disadvantaged too and putting all men in the same box as these perpetrators is not helpful.
I am in the position that I can make this stand as I’m in the same position as Ella. This campaign is not working and we need new solutions. We need action and changes in the way we work, the work we produce and the systems that support all that. THAT is what needs to be done and no more noise.
It starts with your self-regulation system on the work we produce. Once we get harmful stereotypes out of marketing then the industry has to learn what it takes to do that. Systemic change begins when there is a commercial motivation. With businesses who are more equal and inclusive getting financial benefit that is a significant motivator for making change. Better than making noise.
I am happy to supply any data and process change recommendations if anyone wants it. But, I definitely will not support a female focused noise campaign any more. No value there. As a victim, like Ella, it is so frustrating and almost unbearable to see little change and ineffective campaigns.
Let’s DO something different. Please.
Anne, I’m very sorry you went through that horrific treatment. I really identify with the first paragraph you wrote. It sounds like we have indeed had similar experiences.
I’m disappointed, however, to read the remainder of your comment.
Firstly, noise is everything. From articles, to campaigns, to events and conversations. Without noise there would be no awareness of the issue. There would be women suffering in isolation at the hands of predators. There would be no anger, and anger is the seed of change.
Secondly, you’ve made a lot of misinformed and generalised statements. This is dangerous, it spreads misinformation. I’ve spent a lot of time researching my article. My suggestion would be to read the reports that I’ve linked to, all of which include men as victims and allies. Look up shEqual and better understand what they do as a not-for-profit organisation. Then revisit the long history of women’s rights movements all over the world.
Each one started with noise and anger. Next came connection and action. Then we saw meaningful change after years of hard work and negotiation.
You may have gone through what I’ve been through, but I simply cannot support your blatant disregard for the facts. Many women and men are putting in hundreds of hours outside of their regular jobs to make work environments safer and more equitable. I suggest you look them up, some are listed in the article.
Then, if you have ideas to add to the mix, make them happen.
We’ll be there to lend our support.
@Anne Miles,
I’d really love it if you stopped your vendetta against the women behind a really awesome not for profit organisation like Shequal. They are definitely not doing any harm, in fact they have issued some amazing guides on stereotyping https://shequal.com.au/app/uploads/2022/01/Female-stereotypes_final.pdf
No one is stopping you from doing something different. Just do it, but please stop putting other women down.