Female stars fight for equality
FEMALE stars are reaffirming their pledge to tackle sexual harassment and discrimination which they say “plagues” the UK film industry.
Campaigners want to redress the imbalance in power which they claim has led to cases of abuse, for both women and minorities, as Bafta marks a great year for female stars.
The campaign for equal representation of female talent in the entertainment industry was launched last year, with figures including Emma Watson, Gemma Arterton, and Keira Knightley backing Time’s Up UK.
Leading voices in British film will continue the fight into a second year, launching Time’s Up UK X2 in a bid to help women “reach their full potential”.
The campaign was launched in response to allegations against disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein and the impact of the Me Too movement.
Chairwoman of Time’s Up UK, Dame Heather Rabbatts, said: “Sexual harassment stems from an imbalance of power.
“Issues of workplace safety for women, and especially for women of colour, are but a symptom of the power imbalance that plagues nearly every sector.
“We won’t stop fighting until there is gender balance in leadership, until there is equal representation both on and off screen, and until all women have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“That’s why, at the beginning of our second year, we are taking up the mantle from Time’s Up in the States and launching Time’s Up X2 here in the UK, to double the number of women in film both on and off screen, and across other spaces where women are under-represented.”
Time’s Up UK began in 2018 with a donation of £1 million from former Harry Potter actress Watson, and to date more than 400 donors have contributed to the cause.
Actors, producers and writers have joined the movement, which aims to eradicate harassment and inequality in entertainment.
The announcement of a renewed campaign comes ahead of the Baftas, for which 48 women received nominations.
The Bafta awards ceremony takes place today at the Royal Albert Hall, London.