[Smashpatriarchy] Some advice, re: a Sexism in the Workplace Workshop

[Christopher Leinonen]

Hey folks!
So, as I've mentioned, I'll be unable to attend the meeting tomorrow (thank
you, Reg, for hosting it!), but I do have a question - either for the list
at large, or for folks to talk about at the meeting (IF there is time for
you to do so).  Sorry, there's a lot of writing coming up.

As some of you may know, I work in the animation industry.  It's a fun job,
but the problem is that it's still very much a 'boys club', even though
more and more women are finding work in the industry.  As such, there's a
lot of casual sexism and microaggressions that pervade the environment.
 One of my friends was telling me about some more serious stuff that has
happened to her or that she's witnessed in the last few weeks, and I have
decided that I want to try to organize (well, get the administration to
organize) a workshop about Sexism in the Workplace.

Now, something like this would be most useful, I think, if it were
mandatory attendance, and that probably means finding a small budget to pay
everyone for their attendance.  Hopefully there's something in the company
coffers to cover for it.  Of course, even if we can't swing that, and it is
only voluntary attendance, I'd still like to get something going.

I want to start by putting a couple anonymous drop-boxes around the studio
so that people can write down their experiences of sexism (either witnessed
or direct experience) in the studio.  This will help prove that there's a
problem, and that the event isn't just being brought up "because it's
required legal mumbo-jumbo" or whatever.  It'll also help skirt around the
problem that most women have with reporting sexist behaviour.  That is,
everyone in the industry is friends with each other (especially the older,
more sexist, more senior folks) - so reporting it would hamstring their
careers, if not kill it.

Also, I want to bring in a guest speaker from a group that deals with this
sort of thing regularly (that runs workshops, etc.)  I feel like it would
hold more cache, and would be less 'personal', if it were someone else
coming in.  It'd help avoid the likely problem of no women wanting to run
it (for fears of sabotaging their careers), and the problem of me as a man
giving a presentation about how sexism hurts women.  (It MIGHT be useful,
but I feel like I would also be a lot easier to dismiss, by virtue of my
relative youth, etc.)

There is a more senior member of the staff who I can float the idea to who
I think would take it seriously, so I'm hoping it'll fly.  I'm gonna bring
it up on tuesday or wednesday.

What I am asking of you, is do you have any other ideas for how such a
workshop could be run, and what sort of things you think I should cover?  I
know the basic direction that I'd like to take it in, but other ideas are
good.  And, most importantly, does anyone have connections with people who
have experience giving these kinds of workshops to large groups of people?
 I have a friend who might be able to find someone through WAVAW, but any
leads that you folks might have would help a lot.

Thanks, folks!
-Chris
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