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33 Can. J. Women & L. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/cajwol33 and id is 1 raw text is: Silence Can Be Golden: The Benefits That Confidentiality Clauses Can Bring Survivors Seeking Settlement Nico Bernardi Pervasive sexual harassment is a wicked problem rooted in the systemic exploitation of power October 2017 marks the beginning of increased visibility to this wicked problem. In response, some US states have adopted blanket prohibitions on confi- dentiality clauses in matters relating to sexual harassment and abuse. In this article, I urge British Columbia's legislators to be wary offollowing suit for many reasons. These reasons include the freedom to contract, access to justice, and concerns that any advantages associated with blanket prohibitions selectively benefit white, het- erosexual, middle-class women over queer, trans, Indigenous, disabled, and youth communities. I argue that existing legal tools already prevent the misuse or abuse of confidentiality clauses as well as offer recourse ifparties have entered into an agree- ment with unjust provisions. Fundamentally, confidentiality clauses do not achieve the very thing to which they purport: they do not eliminate sexual harassment. Le harcelement sexuel est un probleme omnipresent et pervers, ancre dans les rap- ports de pouvoir. Octobre 2017 marque le dibut d'une plus grande visibiliti de ce probleme. Pour y repondre, certains Etats amiricains ont adopti des interdic- tions generales visant les clauses de confidentialiti dans les affaires de harcele- ment sexuel et de violence. Dans le present article, j'invite les lkgislateurs de la Colombie-Britannique a se garder de prendre de telles mesures pour de nombreuses raisons. Celles-ci incluent la liberti de contracter, I'acces a la justice et la crainte que tout avantage associi a des interdictions ginirales profite particulierement aux personnes blanches et heterosexuelles et aux femmes de la classe moyenne au ditri- ment des communautis queer, trans, autochtones, des personnes handicapies et des jeunes. Je soutiens que les outils juridiques en place priviennent dija les abus dans I'application des clauses de confidentialiti en plus d'offrir des recours si les parties concluent une entente contenant des dispositions injustes. Fondamentalement, les clauses de confidentialiti ne permettent pas d'atteindre l'objectif auquel elles pri- tendent : elles n 'liminent pas le harcelement sexuel. The author is very grateful for the support and guidance from Professor Andrew Newcombe of the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria who supervised the writing of this article. CJWL/RFD doi: 10.3138/cjwl.33.1.01

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