Mônica Bergamo: Women who denounced Marcius Melhem write a letter in support of Caixa employees

Women who denounced the former director of Globo’s humor department Marcius Melhem for sexual harassment​ wrote a letter expressing support for the alleged victims of Pedro Guimarães, now former president of Caixa Econômica Federal. The document has ten signatories.

At least five bank employees accused the executive of harassment, with reports of intimate touches and inappropriate invitations. The MPF (Federal Public Ministry) investigates the case. On Wednesday (29), Guimarães resigned from the institution.

The letter prepared by Melhem’s whistleblowers extols the “courage to break the silence” and challenge power on the part of Caixa employees. He also says that they must be prepared for the next battles — which “will be as tough or tougher.”

“The main feeling may be fear. Fear of retaliation from the powerful accused, fear for the future of our careers, fear that our reputation will be put at stake, simply because we did the right thing. The only thread we have to hold on to is the certainty that this was our only option”, says the letter.

“We know the challenges that arise when we face a man in a position of power, who uses his strength and his position to embarrass and silence people”, he continues.

Melhem’s defense has always denied the sex crimes allegations.

The signatories of the letter introduce themselves under the nickname “Somos Muit@s” and say that, as they see themselves as victims of sexual harassment, they now have an unbreakable bond with the servants who denounced Pedro Guimarães.

“We don’t know who you are. We’ve never spoken, we’ve never seen each other and if we passed each other on the street we would have no way of knowing that we passed each other. Even so, we now have an unbreakable bond. It’s because of women like you that we keep fighting. . We will give strength to each other and we won’t stop until all the stories are told”, they say.

They also emphasize that harassment is, by definition, an exercise of power, even if it is often disguised as jokes, false friendship or invasive postures by a boss. “The act of denouncing, whenever it happens, is an act of extreme courage. You were brave”, they say.

The accusations of sexual harassment against Guimarães were revealed on Tuesday (28) by the Metrópoles portal. In the account of Caixa employees there were also accusations that other members of the board and the former president’s office covered up the situation.

A Caixa employee said in a statement to Sheet which was also harassed by the executive. She claimed to have been pulled by the neck and to have been in shock after the episode.

This Thursday (30), Caixa Econômica Federal’s board of directors decided to hire an external audit to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Pedro Guimarães and track other members of the leadership who covered up the situation.

Guimarães resigned the day after the allegations were made public. In an open letter posted on his social media, he denied the allegations and said he was the target of “political rancor in an election year”.

Read, below, the full letter written by ten women who denounced Marcius Melhem:

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA (interim)KARINA MATIAS and MANOELLA SMITH}