Janaki Chadha is reporting for Politico New York in speech to the Long Island Association on January 26, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called on Congress to pass legislation ending forced arbitration clauses in sexual harassment cases. The clauses are a regular feature of employment agreements and require employees to settle disputes through a private arbitration process and prevent them from ever taking their case to court. Gillibrand has made advocating for victims of assault a core area of focus during her time in the Senate. In her comments Friday, she said forced arbitration clauses help contribute to a larger environment that prevents women from speaking out about their experiences. Women, and particularly women in positions of power, Gillibrand said, must continue to speak out and support other women who come forward. “Women who are top executives, who are the heavily recruited, who the company clearly values — I would hope those women would speak out for the rest of us because the truth is, if you are a low-wage worker, you have zero leverage,” she said. Read the full story at Politico New York.