Sexual harassment as a cause of gender inequality in the UK film and television industry

Existing research has examined how gender inequality enables sexual harassment in the film and television industry but has not analysed sexual harassment as a cause of gender inequality. This article draws on interviews from 17 women who had experienced and/or reported sexual harassment/violence in the UK film and television industry since December 2017 to examine how sexual harassment caused gender inequalities. The career impacts of sexual harassment for women included losing careers/jobs; impeding career and skills development; inhibiting networking; negatively impacting on job satisfaction and creative freedom; and further consequences such as loss of confidence. These impacts meant women had less time, energy, health, and opportunity to develop their careers. The article also contributes to workplace sexual harassment literature by linking these impacts to policy frameworks, finding that the gender equality impacts of sexual harassment were missing from selected statutory and policy guidance relating to sexual harassment and gender inequality.