The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights at work, at home and in public life. Their vision is a society in which women and girls in all of their diversity are equal, and truly free to fulfil their potential. Aiming to create a stronger, happier, better future for all. The National Association of Women Pharmacists (NAWP) is affiliated to the Fawcett Society.
At this exclusive in-conversation event, Alesha De-Freitas, former Head of Policy, Research, and Advocacy at the Fawcett Society, and Daisy Ayliffe, an award-winning documentary producer, director, and investigative journalist, discussed the power of storytelling in exposing hidden truths and shaping the fight for gender equality.
Naina shared her account of the event:
One of Daisy’s first stories was what became known as ‘The Spy Cops Story.’ Women were describing relationships with undercover police officers. These women were unaware that these were Police officers. A Public inquiry followed – a very British way of doing justice!
Those interested in finding out more should look out for ITV coverage of this – ‘The Undercover Police Scandal – Love and Lies Exposed’.
Daisy has also produced a documentary about Grenfell, a powerful and moving story told by the members of the community, showing an example of a campaign producing social change through film.
Other powerful documentaries cited were:
- The ‘Black Box Diaries’ by Japanese Filmmaker, Shiori Ito. This is currently available on BBC iPlayer. It is a documentary film about how she was sexually assaulted by a senior journalist in Japan in 2015. She faced coverups from the police, the judiciary, the legal system and the media. Even though it is set within a completely different context, since the documentary covers a traumatic assault, some people may find the content distressing.
- An Oscar nominated documentary film called ‘For Sama’ about war in Syria by Waad Al-Khateab – an intimate approach through the lens of a female filmmaker.
- ‘Victim Suspect’ a 2023 film available on Netflix about rape myths that explores all of the reasons women are not believed, not just by the police, but by the judicial system and by their friends.
- ‘Complaint of Rape,’ an episode from the BBC fly-on-the-wall series ‘Police’ directed by Charles Stewart in the 1980s, where a police officer is encouraging a woman to retract her complaint. This was famously watched by Margaret Thatcher who said she was horrified and asked for change. Sadly, 40 years later this may still go on.
The Fawcett Society has produced a Sexual Harassment Toolkit, recognising that all the triggers for sexual harassment are about power, and that we need to create the kind of workplaces where people can thrive without power dynamics playing a role.
In summary, telling stories creates meaningful change – diverse voices that would not normally be heard, and can help drive change.
Learn more
- Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace toolkit
- Sexual Harassment in the workplace | TUC
- PDA welcomes introduction of employers duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace |The Pharmacists’ Defence Association
- PDA sees an increase in members seeking advice on sexual harassment incidents | The Pharmacists’ Defence Association
- Sexual harassment is a health and safety risk | The Pharmacists’ Defence Association
- Tackling male violence against women and girls in work and in society | The Pharmacists’ Defence Association
Not yet a PDA member?
If you have not yet joined the PDA, we encourage you to join today and ask your colleagues to do the same.
Membership is FREE to pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists and for the first three months of being newly qualified.
Read about our key member benefits here.