Models form rights group to address sexual harassment and other issues ahead of fashion week

People have the misconception that the working life of a model is ideal but the reality is that they are subjected to the same abuses as any other worker. Fashion models have formed a rights group to address issues such as sexual harassment, child labor, backstage privacy and financial transparency.

Sara Ziff, 29, who has worked as a model since age 14, formed the non-profit Model Alliance in an industry that remains largely unregulated. The aim of the organization is to address child labor issues and give models confidential advice on how to deal with sexual harassment and abuse.

Models have been photographed nude while changing for a fashion show and are often subjected to more overt sexual harassment. They are Sara Ziff told “Today”, “Most models start their adult careers as minors and they labor in an unregulated business knowing they are replaceable.”

Although it would seem that models make tons of money, many of the runway models who appear in Fashion Week actually never receive money and are paid by designers with clothing.

The fear of losing a job makes many people even models reluctant to report incidents of sexual harassment. Unless these issues are addressed the harassment will continue until the victim retains a sexual harassment attorney.

People hire sexual harassment attorneys when their employers fail to address their allegations and prevent their abuse. In a traditional workplace a sexual harassment lawyer can sue for compensation of supervisors retaliate against an employee.