Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), a global membership organization dedicated to empowering and advancing women across every industry sector and all three tiers in the beverage alcohol industry, has announced 86 Harassment (www.86harassment.com), a groundbreaking industry-wide initiative addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.
86 Harassment, which has been in development since 2020 with corporate catalyst funding from Women of the Vine & Spirits and Pernod Ricard North America, was announced at the WOTVS Global CONNECT! Conference hosted in collaboration with the DISCUS Conference, in San Diego.
Today, the industry-wide initiative is additionally funded and supported by industry association partners the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) and Corporate Sponsors Pernod Ricard North America and Republic National Distributing Company.
86 Harassment is the first industry-wide initiative specifically designed for the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries to co-create an action plan aimed at reducing incidents of harassment and violence.
Harassment is Prevalent
Statistics show that harassment is very prevalent in the beverage, alcohol, and hospitality industries, with higher incidents of workplace harassment compared to other industries. According to Restaurant Opportunities Center United, nine in 10 women in hospitality have been sexually harassed on the job, compared to three in 10 in the general workforce.
Beyond the moral imperative, 86 Harassment recognizes the critical business imperatives associated with combating workplace harassment. Research underscores the detrimental impact of harassment on employee satisfaction, productivity, hiring, retention rates, and company reputation, highlighting the urgent need for industry-wide action.
“This first-of-its-kind coordinated effort with industry association partners and corporate sponsors stems from our belief that every individual deserves a safe and respectful workplace free of sexual harassment,” said Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO, Women of the Vine & Spirits and Diverse Powered Brands. “Thanks to Pernod Ricard North America, the corporate catalyst sponsor, 86 Harassment serves as an industry-wide resource to help guide companies and employees on the path to prevention.”
“As a leading voice in the beverage alcohol industry, we recognize the importance of addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence,” said Kayla Campbell, Vice President, Total Talent, Diversity & Enterprise-Wide Development Pernod Ricard North America. “Through our sponsorship of 86 Harassment, we are committed to driving meaningful change and promoting a culture of respect and dignity across our industry. We encourage others to join us in this critical movement.”
Free Resources Available
86 Harassment will support employers and employees with the following free resources:
- Customized training for the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries on setting boundaries and bystander intervention, including “Creating A Safer Community,” developed and conducted by RAINN.
- Industry-specific Dedicated Confidential Crisis Intervention Hotline operated by staff at RAINN. Telephone Crisis Intervention Services available in English and Spanish. The hotline staff are available 24/7 to support communities with industry-specific crisis intervention, empathetic listening, and warm handoffs to designated local service providers. The Hotline provides quality, anonymous, and confidential crisis intervention services in English and Spanish to support survivors.
- Centralized Resource Hub including glossary key terms and phrases, articles, reports, newsletters, and educational resources for anyone in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. Handouts, toolkits, postcards, flyers, stickers, posters, available to download, print and post on walls on-premise, off-premise, offices and use at conferences, and events.
“At RAINN, we understand the profound impact of sexual harassment and violence on individuals and communities,” said Rajit Kabadi, Chief Consulting Officer of RAINN Consulting Group. “We are proud to be sought out by and lend our expertise to 86 Harassment to provide crucial resources and training to industry professionals, fostering environments where everyone feels valued and protected.”
‘Education is the First Step’
“Sexual harassment has absolutely no place in our industry,” said Chris Swonger, DISCUS President and CEO. “We all play a pivotal role in this effort and education is the first step. We are fully invested in this important initiative, working alongside our partners, to provide best-in-class prevention and response education.”
“Harassment has no place in the most vibrant, diverse and promising wine and spirits marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Francis Creighton, President and CEO of WSWA. “Taking advantage of this resource is one important way we can build a safer and more inclusive beverage alcohol ecosystem for the future.”
