"Sexual harassment has everything to do with power"

chibumga izuzu

November 23, 2017 3:33 PM

Ufuoma McDermott explained that sexual harassment has everything to do with one person being more powerful than the other person.

During press rounds for her new movie

She also said that sexual harassment, a scourge which must be removed, exists everywhere. There's no saying that it belongs to one sector or one group of people.

Read interview below:

On existence of sexual harassment in Nollywood

I think sexual harassment probably exists everywhere, not just in Nollywood and not just in Hollywood. It exists in the medical world, it exists among the politicians.

It's a scourge and we need to stop it. There's no saying that it belongs to one sector or one group of people.

On sexual harassment and power

A lot of people do not understand that sexual harassment has everything to do with power. Sexual harassment has everything to do with the person that is more powerful, the person that has what this other person wants, and because of his play on power, he feels like he can deny you that thing that he can give you in exchange for a sexual favor.

ALSO READ: Ufuoma McDermott talks playing a tomboy, most challenging experience, casting process in "Christmas is Coming"

On consent

However, a lot of people always mistake mutual consensual relationships for sexual harassment. If you're above 18 or 21 as the case may be and boy meets girl, girl meets boy and they decide to have sexual relationship, that is not sexual harassment. That is two consenting adult being in a relationship.

If they are in the same sector, people may want to say: "should they, should they have not?" Those are all subject to different debates, but sexual harassment has everything to do with power.

On men as victims of sexual harassment

Trust me, sexual harassment is not always coming from the men. I have heard several situations where it comes from women. I have heard of situations where both people involved are the same sex. So it has nothing to do with gender.

It has everything to do with one person being more powerful than the other person.

On why people don't speak up

You know this thing we do about shaming people who come out to speak? People speak up and suddenly you think you have an opinion: 'Why would they not harass you when you're wearing" or "why would they not harass you when you're saying or doing.."

And I think we should stop it. You might be in that position tomorrow and you would probably need just a warm hug or a cuddle and at that point when people shame you, you would understand how it feels.

I think that when we stop the shaming, people would come out to speak more or against it, and then we would have more people being called out.

Ufuoma's latest movie is set to debut in cinemas on Friday, November 23, 2017.

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