Maya Angelou wrote, “There is no greater agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.” Our report of women’s experiences of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination in the Labour party sought to give that voice to those untold stories.
In October, as the Harvey Weinstein story broke, a group of long-serving and disheartened Labour women were recounting their stories of harassment and misogyny in the party, and LabourToo was born.Many of us have spent years speaking about the need for the Labour party to break down barriers for women who want to succeed in public life. But again and again we’ve run into barriers along the way. Our experiences over decades point to a culture that tolerates the routine dismissal of women’s encounters with abuse, and gives little redress to victims seeking justice from mainly senior male perpetrators.
We decided to launch an online call for reports from Labour women – not with the aim of naming or shaming, but to try to show the ubiquitous nature of sexual harassment in the party we love. On Tuesday we submitted our report to the party, which contains 43 stories that broke our hearts. In one way, they are no different from the lived experience of many women in every workplace, membership club and family in the UK. But by taking place, as they do, in an institution that prides itself on a commitment to equality, respect, tolerance and justice, they make us wonder where the Labour party has gone wrong.
Source :- theguardian
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