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A staggering one in two women have been sexually harassed at work, but four out of five of them aren't comfortable reporting the issues to H.R., which is why actress Emma Watson launched a new hotline that offers free legal advice regarding sexual harassment in England and Wales.

The hotline is designed to help women hold their employers and harassers accountable and is the first of its kind, something Watson finds "completely staggering," she told Fast Company. Anyone who needs legal advice for dealing with these types of situations can call the hotline and speak with someone from the nonprofit, Rights of Women, without paying the lofty fees traditional lawyers often charge.

"This advice line's purpose is to empower women to exercise their legal rights in the workplace. By advising women about their legal options and increasing their understanding of equalities and discrimination law, we will be able to help them make informed choices about next steps, including how to navigate the legal system with confidence," Rights of Women's senior legal officer, Deeba Syedtold Indie Wire.

Women can get advice on determining what counts as sexual harassment, filing a complaint against an employer, making a claim, and navigating settlement and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), Fast Company reports.


RELATED: After #MeToo, these Hollywood women say 'Time's Up' for workplace harassment

The hotline is backed by the Time's Up United Kingdom Justice and Equality Fund and is managed by Rosa, a charitable fund set up to support initiatives that benefit women and girls in the U.K. It also received a $1.2 million donation from Watson and others in the film industry (which is no stranger to sexual harassment).

Syed also points out that sexual harassment in the workplace has reached "epidemic levels," but the good news is people are now aware of and talking about the problem, which means that we can finally fix it. "It finally feels like people are realizing the scale of the problem, and I'm certainly hopeful that with global standards such as the recent International Labor Organization treaty on harassment at work we'll start to see a new climate of prevention and accountability on this issue domestically," Watson said in a statement.

RELATED: Anita Hill nailed why we need to rethink who's to blame when it comes to sexual abuse

"Understanding what your rights are, how you can assert them and the choices you have if you've experienced harassment is such a vital part of creating safe workplaces for everyone, and this advice line is such a huge development in ensuring that all women are supported, wherever we work," Watson said. Women supporting other women is a beautiful thing.

If you're in need of legal advice regarding sexual harassment and you live in England or Wales, you can call 020 7490 0152.

Last year Brie Larson presented Casey Affleck with the Oscar for Best Actor, and it was ... uncomfortable.

Just a year earlier, Larson had won the Oscar for her powerhouse performance in "Room," playing a woman who was held kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and forced to live in captivity with her young son. Hers was a moving performance that reflected a lot of Larson's own advocacy work for victims of sexual harassment and violence. But then she was asked to present one of acting's top honors to Affleck, who had been sued on multiple occasions for sexual harassment years earlier.

The audience erupted in applause as Affleck's name was announced and he took the stage — with one very notable exception: Larson. After offering Affleck a polite hug, she stood off to the side, motionless. In a pre-#MeToo, pre-Time's Up environment, her reluctance to follow the unspoken rules of being a presenter was a statement in itself.


[rebelmouse-image 19532043 dam="1" original_size="450x280" caption="Larson stands still as Affleck takes the stage in 2017. GIF from Oscars/YouTube." expand=1]Larson stands still as Affleck takes the stage in 2017. GIF from Oscars/YouTube.

"I think that whatever it was that I did onstage kind of spoke for itself,” she told Vanity Fair when asked about whether she was trying to make a statement by not clapping. "I’ve said all that I need to say about that topic."

Since then, a lot has changed in Hollywood — and Affleck will be absent from the Oscar stage this year as a result.

It's Academy Award tradition that the previous year's Best Actor winner presents this year's Best Actress award (and the past Best Actress presents Best Actor). But Affleck, who was scheduled to present, will not be in attendance when Hollywood gathers for the show on March 4.

Deadline reported that "Affleck did not want to become a distraction from the focus that should be on the performances of the actresses in the category and that is why he made the proactive move," calling it "a no-win situation."

Affleck accepts Best Actor during the 2017 Oscars. Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images.

Thanks to the activism of the past year, actors like Affleck are finally being held accountable for their actions.

It's proof that, when journalists, witnesses, and survivors speak out, they have the power to change the world for the better.

Without Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's bombshell New York Times exposé detailing megaproducer Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual assault and harassment, and without some of the brave actresses willing to go on record for it, it's hard to imagine that the #MeToo movement would have taken off the way it has.

In a world without the #MeToo movement (which was founded years ago by Tarana Burke, but given fresh life post-Weinstein), it's easy to picture Affleck on stage this year, again receiving cheers from a complicit audience. It's easy to imagine his past sexual harassment suits being brushed off as ancient history, or for audiences to be urged to separate the artist from the art; it's easy to picture a culture that has continued to laud the likes of Roman Polanski or Woody Allen treating Affleck the same way.

[rebelmouse-image 19346263 dam="1" original_size="750x555" caption="Tarana Burke poses with Affleck's "Manchester By the Sea" co-star, actress Michelle Williams at this year's Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images." expand=1]Tarana Burke poses with Affleck's "Manchester By the Sea" co-star, actress Michelle Williams at this year's Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

But activists, journalists, and regular, everyday people helped change that. Continued pressure and momentum can help reshape culture in powerful ways. The fact that Casey Affleck will not be on stage is a reminder that we can make the world a better place if we use our voices to advocate for a more just society.

In a world where cynicism and despair often win out, stories like these might just lend a little hope.

#MeToo demonstrators. Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.