Sister in Film and Television [SWIFTSA] launched a social media campaign against sexual harassment on Thursday under the hashtag #That'sNotOk. The heart of the campaign is a video series to educate people about which behaviours are acceptable — and importantly, which aren't — in the workplace.
The women shared their experiences of a whole range of inappropriate sexual behaviours that women in the industry face, at a gathering at Atlas Studios on Wednesday evening.
"When a tortoise is needed on set, the tortoise gets more protection on set than the women. That's not okay!" said head of the advocacy group Sarah Blecher.
The award-winning documentary director and producer urged everyone to stand up against sexual harassment.
Would you recognise harassment when you saw it?
According to our Sexual Harassment survey 66.7% of womxn feel unsafe in their workplace in the SA Film & TV Industry.
This needs to stop.#Triggerwarning
Watch our Video Series and Please RETWEEThttps://t.co/jucXCvklxm#ThatsNotOkpic.twitter.com/8YSYJvs1JV
— Sisters in Film & TV #ThatsNotOk (@swift_safrica) May 31, 2018
Since then, actors have taken to social media to demand an end to any form of harassment in the film industry. The idea is to paint social media "black and blue" to raise awareness of the issue.
Actress Hlubi Mboya and South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) executive administrator Corine Broomberg are among those already tweeting about it.
#ThatsNotOkhttps://t.co/Tv7K8L1cUu
— Corine Broomberg (@CorineBroomberg) May 31, 2018
Let's hold our hands together and stand firm, side by side with our heroines #THATSNOTOKhttps://t.co/gkc52tT0Ms
— Vhalinavho Khavhagali (@vhali) May 31, 2018
Change is happening. At the @swift_safrica#ThatsNotOK Video Series launch. Powerful women doing great work in the advocacy against sexual harassment in the film and TV industry. 🙏🏾
— Thishiwe Ziqubu (@Thishiwe) May 30, 2018
Many have rallied to the call, following allegations against a well-known filmmaker, who has been accused of sexually assaulting women.
South Africans' resistance to predatory sexual behaviour in the entertainment industry comes in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which arose from the exposure of Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein for allegedly sexually harassing, assaulting or raping women in the film industry on multiple occasions.