AIA News

October 8, 2019

Inter-societies Summit on Sexual Harassment


On September 19, 2019, the Society for Historical Archaeology convened an Inter-societies Summit on Sexual Harassment in Arlington, Virginia. The AIA along with the American Anthropological Association, the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and the Society for American Archaeology sponsored the meeting during which 14 anthropological/archaeological societies and organizations met to share ideas and strategies to take action against sexual harassment.

The general statement of principle that came from the summit is as follows:

“On September 19, 2019, representatives of 14 anthropological organizations came together in Arlington, VA to address harassment and what it takes to establish safe, respectful, and supportive learning and working environments. Discussion focused on legal and disciplinary frameworks, the need to update, coordinate, and implement harassment policies that affect the discipline as a whole, and on ways of improving communication with our members. Harassment has no place in our discipline. We are taking action by sharing ideas and strategies, developing processes, and speaking out against harassment with a strong and unified voice. We believe that our members, organizations, and the broader discipline of anthropology will benefit through our ongoing collaboration, and will be sure to involve our members in these collective efforts.” Revised statement (9/23/2019)

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