#ThatsHarassment

Sigal Avin wrote and directed this amazing series of 6 short films. Each film provides an incredibly authentic window into the reality of what women go through every single day. It's not the violent sexual harassment we're used to reading about but the gray area. These stories make my stomach curl and it's painful to watch but it does exactly what she intended to do with her work.

You should definitely take the time to watch all 6 but I'll share the 3 I found to be most powerful and relatable to me. 

Honestly, until the last couple years, there were countless moments that I experienced harassment and didn't even know it was wrong. 

I knew it felt terrible and I hated it but I was made to feel like it was normal. Or that it was okay because they were just joking. Now when I open up and share stories to the people I'm close with, the first thing they say is - you should have reported it.

But many of those times I felt like if I said anything, it wouldn't have made a difference. I wasn't raped and a violent crime didn't occur. When I was propositioned by a director I left the meeting and of course, didn't get the part. When I was groped by a coworker I would ask him to stop but it would happen again and again. To him vulgar sexual remarks and ass slapping was harmless flirting - don't be so up tight. Room full of people watching it happen and no one said anything to stop him. Felt a lot like that defenseless model in - The Photographer. 

These films may not be exact scenarios of what I've experienced but extremely close, the result and feeling is the same. Feeling demoralized, shamed, worthless, dirty, powerless... it happens in minutes and lasts a lifetime. I love this campaign and I hope you'll share it as well because your sister, your mother or your daughter might not know #ThatsHarassment.

Read what Sigval Avin, David Schwimmer and the rest of the cast have to say in Cosmopolitan about their New Campaign to Fight Sexual Harassment