The Alliance Against Sexual Coercion (AASC) was an American organization that aimed to address sexual coercion and
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
faced by working women.
The organization was established in June 1976 by
Freada Kapor Klein
Freada Kapor Klein (born August 26, 1952) is an American venture capitalist, social policy researcher and philanthropist. As a partner at Kapor Capital and the Kapor Center for Social Impact, she is known for efforts to diversify the technolo ...
, Lynn Wehrli, and Elizabeth Cohn-Stuntz. They argued that sexual harassment toward women increases difficulties for women in the workplace by reinforcing the idea that women are inferior to men.
History/Objectives
The Alliance Against Sexual Coercion was founded in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
in 1976.
The founders,
Freada Kapor Klein
Freada Kapor Klein (born August 26, 1952) is an American venture capitalist, social policy researcher and philanthropist. As a partner at Kapor Capital and the Kapor Center for Social Impact, she is known for efforts to diversify the technolo ...
, Lynn Wehrli, and Elizabeth Cohn-Stuntz had all worked at th Washington DC
rape crisis center
A rape crisis centre, also known as a sexual assault crisis centre or sexual assault referral centre (SARC), is a specialised centre to support victims of rape or other sexual assault, both in the immediate aftermath of the assault and in the ...
, and were experienced in addressing sexual harassment claims. The organisation was founded with a focus on
intersectionality
Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these intersecting and overlapping factor ...
.
Sexual harassment had been a documented issue since the 1900s, and was a part of working women's lives. The issue often went unaddressed by unions, and women experiencing harassment were often subject to
Victim blaming
Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as ...
.
Mary Anderson, the first director of the
United States Women's Bureau
The United States Women's Bureau (WB) is an agency of the United States government within the United States Department of Labor. The Women's Bureau works to create parity for women in the labor force by conducting research and policy analysis, to ...
the
Department of Labor
A ministry of labour (''British English, UK''), or labor (''American English, US''), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workfor ...
, described in her autobiography how women carried knives to protect themselves from foremen, and a strike leading to the firing of the foremen and an increase in women's wages.
AASC hotline
In 1978, Susan Meyer and Karen Sauvigné, friends of activist
Lin Farley
Lin Farley (born December 14, 1942) is an American author, journalist and feminist. She was a leader in calling attention to the problems faced by women in the workforce, in particular sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment
In 1974, she was hired ...
, created a National Information and Referral Service with the help of a $6,500 grant from the city of New York. Meyer and Sauvigné had also worked at the Washington DC Rape Crisis Center, and had campaigned against sexual harassment in the District of Columbia. The hotline provided emotional support and advice to victims of sexual harassment, and referred callers to attorneys and counselors. It was decided that
the hotline
''The Hotline'' is a daily political briefing published by Atlantic Media from its headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1987, It is currently led by editor-in-chief Kirk Bado and published independently until it ...
was not sufficient to address the issue. The organization contemplated addressing the issue through the legal system.
Freada Klein and Lynn Wehrli released a publication stating that legal reform was required in order to address widespread sexual coercion. At the time, there was no legal definition of sexual harassment. Klein and Wehli argued that this showed men that there would be no consequences for sexual harassment.
Legal options
The AASC made several proposals addressing workplace sexual harassment. These included laws to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable. The group advocated for an
intersectional
Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these intersecting and overlapping factor ...
approach, stating that black and brown men were more likely to be accused and convicted than their white counterparts.
The AASC intersectional approach focused on changing male opinions on inequality in the workplace instead of making women change their behavior.
Corne v. Bausch & Lomb, Inc. case
On March 14, 1975, Jane Corne, Geneva Devane, and other plaintiffs filed a case in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against the Bausch & Lomb Company. The complaint alleged the violation of civil rights based on sex discrimination.
The case was dismissed. The judge ruled that the accusers failed to exhaust their potential remedies through other state channels before filing the lawsuit, failed to file the case in a timely manner, and that the suit failed "to state a claim for relief for violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act" while the actions of the supervisor were regarded as a matter of "a personal proclivity, peculiarity or mannerism. By his alleged sexual advances, Mr. Price was satisfying a personal urge" with no company policy involved.
Williams v. Saxbe case
Williams v. Saxbe
Williams may refer to:
People
* Williams (surname), a surname English in origin, but popular in Wales, 3rd most common in the United Kingdom
* Williams Nwaneri, American football player
Places Astronomy
* Williams (lunar crater)
* Williams ( ...
was the first case to validate the harassment of women under gender discrimination. Judge
Charles R. Richey's ruling held that the Civil Rights Act shields employees from retaliation for refusing their superior's sexual propositions, a change to the legal perspectives on workplace sexual harassment.
Publications
Members of the AASC published materials in order to increase awareness around sexual harassment, as well as its history, social context, and legal implications.
First position paper
In October 1976, Klein and Wehrli published the 'first position paper'. This paper linked sexual coercion to economic power,
as well as highlighted the parallels between sexual harassment and rape, the positioning of the issue in feminist activism, and the lack of legal protection for victims.
1977 brochure
The twenty-three page 1977 brochure was created by AASC members Rags Brophy, Mary Bularzik, Martha Hooven,
Freada Klein
Freada Kapor Klein (born August 26, 1952) is an American venture capitalist, social policy researcher and philanthropist. As a partner (business rank), partner at Kapor Capital and the Kapor Center for Social Impact, she is known for efforts to d ...
, Elizabeth Cohn-Stuntz, and Lynn Wehrli, using a grant from
Wellesley College's Center for Research on Women in Higher Education and the Professions. The brochure was released in a package along with advertisements for the AASC, templates for addressing harassers, and a copy of the first position paper.
The brochure argued that sexual harassment was a form of violence against women. It included advice for victims of harassment, a history of harassment, and its effects on economically vulnerable women. The piece also criticized capitalism, blaming it for creating a sexist and racist society.
Intersectionality
Capitalism
The AASC was highly critical of
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
. In the 1978 article "The Role of Capitalism: Understanding Sexual Harassment", members Martha Hooven and
Nancy McDonald argued that the capitalist system relied on hierarchies in order to function, including those created by sexism and racism. They also blamed capitalism for giving female workers low wages, forcing them to stay in jobs where they faced harassment.
[Hooven, Martha and Nancy McDonald. 1978. “The Role of Capitalism: Understanding Sexual Harassment.” ''Aegis'', 31–33. Retrieved (https://documents.alexanderstreet.com/d/1000687703). Included in How Did Diverse Activists in the Second Wave of the Women's Movement Shape Emerging Public Policy on Sexual Harassment?, by Carrie N. Baker. (Binghamton, NY: State University of New York at Binghamton, 2005).]
References
Advocacy groups in the United States
Sexual harassment in the United States