On Tuesday, a group of 25 brave women in 20 cities filed sexual harassment complaints against McDonald’s, alleging gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliation for speaking up. Many of these women stayed silent over the years, for reasons that are sadly familiar to many of us:

“I was embarrassed. I felt like I was at fault or that I had done something wrong.”

“I just thought that was something you would have to put up with.”

“With the promises of moving up, I didn’t want to be the person making noise.”

But the women of McDonald’s have had enough. After years of being unheard or retaliated against, they’re escalating a fight that will benefit women everywhere. 

“For three years, we’ve been speaking out, filing charges, and even going on strike to get McDonald’s to confront its sexual harassment problem,” Tanya Harrell, a McDonald’s worker from Louisiana, said in a statement. “We cannot wait any longer for action. McDonald’s, it’s time to sit down with the workers who help make your $6 billion in profits possible so, together, we can stamp out harassment once and for all.”

These suits are being supported by the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, and Fight for $15. Read more about it on The New York Times.

Speaking up can be hard, but if we want to change our workplaces, it’s critical we hold bad actors accountable. Even if you feel alone, you aren’t. You’ve got us – and a whole army of women behind you.

Now go get paid.

x Ashley