Women in Law: Anita Hill

It's women's month, and with so many workplace sexual harassment scandals becoming headline news, it would be remiss not to include harassment in a discussion around women in the professional sphere. In spite of the incredible progress that has been made in the search for true gender equality, it is all to easy to become discouraged by what looks like a lack of systemic change when a new prominent harassment lawsuit appears in the news every other week. There are many inspiring examples of women pushing back against unfair treatment and structural imbalance – a particularly good example is that of Anita Hill.

In 1991, the retiring American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, required a successor. Clarence Thomas, having been nominated by President George H. W. Bush, was set to take the position almost unopposed when a private FBI interview was leaked to the press. Yale law school graduate Anita Hill, one of Thomas’ employees, testified that Thomas had sexually harassed her at work. Naturally, the allegations received a great deal of media attention and generated such widespread concern that Ms Hill was called to testify before the Senate. 

In a powerful opening statement, she said “It is only after a great deal of agonizing consideration, and a number of sleepless nights, that I am able to talk of these unpleasant matters to anyone but my close friends.” She went on to endure over 8 hours of questioning – much of which consisted of things commonly used today to undermine women, such as concern over false allegations, character assassination, and outright blaming Hill for what she experienced. Senator Arlen Specter asked her, “How could you allow this kind of reprehensible behavior to go on without doing something about it?”

After intense debate, the United States Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Thomas to the Supreme Court – the narrowest margin since the 19^th century.

The confirmation of Justice Thomas is a striking example of how achieving equality is a difficult battle. Anita Hill is now a professor of social policy, law and women’s studies at Brandeis University and sits on the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace. She often appears on television and gives speeches at prominent universities to discuss the way forward for gender equality in the workplace.

Hill maintains that the law surrounding sexual harassment is very vague and relies too much on intent.

Her story is exemplary of the tenacity of women, not only to strive to produce great work in their career field, but also to push back against structural biases and inequality on a daily basis. Even though we cannot win every battle, the fight is still worth fighting.