The Screen Industry  -  Sexual Harassment Prevention Project

At the global The Power of Inclusion (POI) summit on Friday 4 October 2019, ScreenSafe/SWAG announced a pivotal new initiative supported by NZ On Air (NZOA), New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and SPADA.

SWAG was set up in Aotearoa New Zealand, in response to the global #MeToo movement, that shook the entertainment industry and demanded a higher standard of workplace care. They partnered with ScreenSafe, the screen industries Health and Safety initiative with the aim to contribute significantly toward ensuring safe, creative, respectful, and happy workplaces are the norm in the screen industry nationwide.

Co-founding member of SWAG, Emma Slade partook in the panel at The Power of Inclusion summit, #MeToo – Where Too?, alongside global leaders Dr. Stacy L. Smith,  Nasreen Alkhateeb and Kirsten Schaffer.

In response to feedback from successful pilot training courses, there will be a one-day Professional Respect Training Course primarily for Heads of Departments but open to anyone from the screen sector. Offered from early 2020, the course will address prevention, definitions, disclosures and respectful behaviours in the workplace. 

NZOA and NZFC will be contributing funding and alongside the industry guilds are supportive of these courses as essential to Health and Safety in the screen industry.

ScreenSafe/SWAG will also be rolling out a Respect Online Module from early 2020 that will address Sexual Harassment, Harassment and Bullying for all practitioners in the Screen Sector. This course can be undertaken at any time. 

ScreenSafe/SWAG is looking for support from all the guilds and industry organisations to encourage their members to undertake this enhanced training.

Here are the resources currently available on ScreenSafe and SWAG’s

- website: www.screensafe.co.nz or swag.org.nz

- Screen Sector Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy and Reporting Form

- Bystander Intervention Poster and Guidelines

- Onset Daily Verbal Briefing

- Sexual Harassment Definition Poster (‘What Does Sexual Harassment Look Like?’)

- ‘Receiving Disclosures’ pamphlet

- Intimacy Coordinators and Crew Briefing for Sex Scenes

- Sexual harassment reporting form

- Professional Respect HOD Training – upcoming dates in early 2020