Research by Stop Street Harassment shows 77 percent of women experienced verbal sexual harassment, and 51 percent had been sexually touched without their permission in their lifetimes. About 41 percent said they had been sexually harassed online, and 27 percent said they had survived sexual assault. Many of them experienced this harassment in the workplace. What can be done about it?

The Women’s Fund of Rhode Island’s April “Cocktails and Conversations” event will highlight the current political and social implications of sexual harassment in our culture and different strategies to address it effectively. D.L Helfer, panelist and a trans and queer minister says “At a time when bodily autonomy is being widely attacked, it’s critical that we create a culture where the most basic of needs – being safe in our own bodies – is met. We must end the rape culture that leads and affirms sexual harassment, now.”

According to Tarana Burke, Founder of the #MeToo Movement, the cost of dealing with sexual harassment and violence is $122,000 per person on average and low income women are 12x more likely to experience it. Sexual harassment crosses every demographic, including transgendered individuals. This event, part of an ongoing series on topics related to gender equity, features a diverse panel of experts sharing ideas about what we can do to stop pervasive sexual harassment and abuse.

Panelists include:

– Representative Teresa Tanzi

– Reverend D.L. Helfer of the Womxn Project Collaborative

– Nwando Ofokansi, Katie Brown Project

– Moderated by Vanessa Volz, Executive Director of the Sojourner House