UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
November 1, 2017
By Harriet Sherwood
Prominent women in church say it should acknowledge prevalence of sexual harassment and establish independent process for raising concerns
The Church of England should take a lead in tackling sexual harassment by acknowledging its prevalence within its ranks and by establishing an independent process for raising concerns, according to prominent women in the church.
As the ripple effect of the Harvey Weinstein revelations spreads across Westminster, the arts world and the media, one senior lay figure said sexual harassment and abuse within the C of E was “manifold” at almost every level of the hierarchy.
A number of female clergy and lay members of the church have used the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, indicating that they have experienced sexual harassment or assault, including Jo Bailey Wells, bishop of Dorking.
Rachel Treweek, bishop of Gloucester and the only female bishop to sit in the House of Lords, said the past few weeks had shown how widespread sexual harassment was in society.
She told the Guardian: “I think it’s an issue in society and therefore it would be strange if it wasn’t also an issue in the church. The danger is when we imagine that the church is somehow an elite group of people. Yes, we are trying to be followers of Jesus Christ and therefore we should be aspiring to living our lives differently. But actually we are all human beings.
“The danger is if we begin to think it doesn’t exist in the C of E. Of course it does. We need to ensure we have conversations to ensure people can come forward and will be taken seriously.”
Some female clergy and lay members are now calling for an independent mediation service to deal with sexual harassment and abuse claims. They say the church’s instinct to protect its reputation should not outweigh the need for redress and a change in culture.
In a letter to the Guardian, Jayne Ozanne, a senior member of the C of E synod, or governing body, said: “Abuse of power, particularly in relation to sexual misdemeanours, will never be dealt with by those within the same said power structures. The urge to protect one’s reputation is too strong.”
She added: “Make no mistake, the instances of sexual abuse and harassment within the church are manifold – at virtually every level of the hierarchy.”
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