2022 has been an eventful year. Unfortunately, it started out disappointing with signs that the longstanding reproductive rights ruling, Roe v. Wade would topple—and later, we watched the devastating fallout. However, we also have much to celebrate as we enter 2023 continuing to work with our partner organizations to tackle systemic oppression that enables sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse.
This year, we joined the world in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the fifth anniversary of the #MeToo movement. On the Hill, we started off the year with Congress passing and President Joe Biden signing the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act into law. This bipartisan law prohibits companies from using private, closed-door arbitrators in the case of an employee complaint or dispute related to sexual assault or harassment. Later this year, we applauded the passage of the Speak Out Act, a law that effectively bans employers from binding survivors to corporate non-disclosure agreements with regard to sexual misconduct.
RALIANCE also had some personal wins that we’re proud of:
–In March, we welcomed a new cohort of six grantees. We are immensely proud of every grantee we work with. It’s bittersweet to be ending our official year of collaboration with them, however they remain part of our RALIANCE network and will continue to be resources to us.
–We renewed our partnership with the NFL. We are excited by the opportunity to continue partnering with the National Football League in the years ahead to fund projects that help prevent sexual violence, support survivors and communities safer. We look forward to also look forward to introducing you to our 2023 grantees soon.
–We partnered with Uber’s Driving Change. We have been working with Uber’s Driving Change initiative since its inception when they determined to commit $5 million over five years to help prevent sexual assault and domestic violence. During the five-year commitment, we worked with Uber to develop the Sexual Misconduct Taxonomy—a project we are continuously improving and will be publishing updates to in 2023. They also sponsored the National Sexual Assault Conference, the annual conference providing advanced training opportunities and information on sexual violence intervention and prevention. In a recently published blog, Uber highlights some of the Driving Change partners, including RALIANCE, and the changes they’ve made as an organization to, “prevent, address, and respond to gender-based violence.” We are looking forward to helping Uber continue to find creative ways to make an impact in the many communities where they operate.
RALIANCE wishes you, your colleagues and your families a safe and happy holiday season.
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.