The Breaking Point

Why would someone at the pinnacle of their career – with a prestigious title at a prestigious organization, with prospects for advancement and a thriving network of fellow professionals – ever want to risk throwing all of that away?

How bad, or shocking, or illegal does their workplace have to become before the urge to say or do something becomes overwhelming? Before the person decides there is no choice but to go public with what they know, regardless of the consequences?

When whistleblowers report wrongdoing, they often face retaliation that can destroy their reputations, careers, and sometimes their lives. Being a female whistleblower is particularly punitive. Misogynistic hit pieces, social media threats of sexual assault and death threats are just some examples of what these women endure.

Knowing that they may suffer monumental consequences – especially as women, who have had to work twice as hard to succeed in male-dominated sectors – why do they move forward? What makes them different from other employees who see corruption or are targets of illegal conduct – and do nothing?

The women in our film show us why they chose such an arduous path without a guarantee of the outcome they are hoping for – and how they managed to make it to the other side.