Emma Watson launches a free sexual harassment helpline

Former Harry Potter’s starlet and UN Women Goodwill ambassador Emma Watson launches a free sexual harassment helpline.

The actress previously also helped launch the UN Women campaign “HeForShe” which calls out for and promotes gender equality.

“Women need to know their rights if sexual harassment at work is to stop ,” said Watson on Monday as she launched a legal advice line for victims in Britain.

The service will reach out to give advice on factors that constitute sexual harassment, how to claim at an employment tribunal and on non disclosure agreements.

“Understanding what your rights are, how you can assert them, and the choices you have if you’ve experienced harassment, is such a vital part of creating safe workplaces for everyone,” said the Beauty and the Beast star.

The advice line is developed to ensure that women are supported wherever they work and have safe work environments.

The advice line is sufficiently funded by Time’s Up UK Justice and Equality fund. This itself was kick-started by donations from the public last year. Watson herself donated 1 million pounds herself.

1/2 British women experience harassment in workplaces and 4/5 don’t go as far as reporting it, according to a survey conducted by the TUC Labor union.

“I’m certainly hopeful that with global standards such as the recent International Labor Organization (ILO) treaty on harassment at work, we’ll start to see a new climate of prevention and accountability on this issue domestically,” she stated.

The ILO adopted the said treaty in June, after being fuled by the #MeToo movement.

Deeba Syed, the senior legal officer of the charity believes that women speaking up against harassment and asserting their legal rights would have jeopardize their careers. Thus, becoming an inevitable part of their jobs.

“It finally feels like people are realizing the scale of the problem,” Watson said in a statement, citing the TUC research.