Cameron Russell Is Giving Women in the Fashion Industry a Platform to Share Their Sexual Harassment Stories

The Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment and sexual assault scandal has taken down one of Hollywood's most powerful power players and producers, and in the days that have followed the New York Times bombshell report sharing women's accounts of his misconduct, more women have stepped forward with their own accounts of business meetings or auditions that Weinstein allegedly set up to get women alone with him. For these women the power dynamic was an undeniable factor in their encounters: Pissing off Weinstein could essentially shutter their (often aspiring or blossoming) careers in Hollywood, while to give in to his coercive alleged demands for a massage or more would compromise the person they were (not to mention leaving emotional scars).

Sadly, it's not an usual dynamic: Men in power across many industries have, not infrequently, taken advantage of women who had something to gain from a positive, professional relationship with them. The world of fashion isn't immune to this, either—and one model, Cameron Russell, is taking a stand in Weinstein's wake to give her colleagues, friends, and fellow models a platform to share their own accounts of abuse while on the job.

Her social media movement began when a friend reached out to Russell, and it has since spawned its own Twitter hashtag, #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse, which has been buzzing with accounts from women or their experiences.

"We need a way to begin breaking the silence while remaining protected. We are not talking about one, five, or even 20 men," wrote Russell in her initial post. "We are talking about a culture of exploitation and it must stop."

The accounts don't make for easy reading. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that many models begin working in the industry when they're still underage. The fashion industry is also notorious for not setting up adequate protections for models—in the accounts below, more than one mentions being sent on a shoot alone to a photographer's apartment or studio.

"We talked about how hard it is to share stories of assault. When they are the norm, calling them out can feel disruptive and unprofessional," she continued. "And because the response has always been 'Are you surprised?' or 'That's part of the job' I tolerated them. When the offenses were bigger, calling them out is terrifying, and demands a level of exposure and backlash to what is already painful and sometimes shameful."

Since this initial post, she's shared the stories of dozens of others in the industry. Note: Most of the accounts come with trigger warnings.

Russell also pointed out a telling sentence in one email: "It's just the way he is."

It's also not only women who are the targets.

Russell's work is opening up a new platform for women to band together—let's hope that some real, effective change comes out of it. Some in the industry, like casting director James Scully, are actively working to make it a safer place for models, but there's still a long, long way to go.

Related Stories:
-An Explosive Report Alleges Decades of Sexual Harassment by Harvey Weinstein
-Harvey Weinstein Was Just Fired From His Own Company Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
-These Are All the Women Who Have Accused Harvey Weinstein of Sexual Harassment and Assault