Reese Witherspoon and her A-list friends are teaming up to fight sexual harassment

#TIMESUP

From the editors of InStyle Words by Brandi Fowler

Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, and more stars are ringing in the new year with a movement that promotes equality and safety in the workplace.

On New Year’s Day, the Oscar winners, along with Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, Ashley Judd and many others shared a post for Time’s Up, an initiative that fights 'systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue-collar workplaces nationwide,' following the many sexual harassment allegations that surfaced in 2017.

According to an open letter on the initiative’s website, 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives teamed up to create the initiative. 'Time’s Up is a unified call for change from women in entertainment for women everywhere,' the letter read. 'From movie sets to farm fields to boardrooms alike, we envision nationwide leadership that reflects the world in which we live. Powered by women, Time’s Up addresses the systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace that have kept underrepresented groups from reaching their full potential.'

As for how the initiative plans to accomplish its goals, the letter reads, 'We partner with leading advocates for equality and safety to improve laws, employment agreements, and corporate policies; help change the face of corporate boardrooms and the C-suite; and enable more women and men to access our legal system to hold wrongdoers accountable. No more silence. No more waiting. No more tolerance for discrimination, harassment or abuse.'

Time's Up includes a legal defence fund to help less privileged women protect themselves from sexual misconduct and any repercussions that may occur after they’ve reported it. It also will create legislation to penalise companies that tolerate harassment. According to the New York Times, its drive to reach gender parity at studios and talent agencies has already paid off.

'I stand with women across every industry to say #TIMESUP on abuse, harassment, marginalisation and underrepresentation. @TIMESUPNOW,' Kerry Washington captioned her post about it Monday.