Bel Powley has candidly discussed her experience of sexual harassment.

While speaking to The Independent, the A Small Light star recalled being "touched inappropriately" by a crew member on the set of a project before the #MeToo movement was established.

"I've had someone grab my a**e and basically touch me inappropriately before," Bel shared, adding that since the perpetrator was a senior crew member, she was "too scared to say anything at the time".

The actress explained, "I was too scared to rock the boat... I just avoided that person and it was fine, but what really has changed post-#MeToo is you just know that you're protected."

The phrase Me Too was originally coined in 2006 to call out sexual violence and harassment. However, it grew traction in 2017 as a hashtag on social media amid allegations levelled at disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

"At the beginning of #MeToo it was weird. For a while it was like, I feel protected because men are just f**king scared - which was fine too - but now everything's settled into itself," the 31-year-old continued. "People have learnt, and it's like there's a new code of conduct."

While Bel didn't name the project or crew member in question, she did describe the set conditions where sexual misconduct thrives.

"I did have a couple of bad ones, where everyone's too awkward to ask if you're gonna take your clothes off, and you don't have it written up properly in the contract," she said. "It's low-budget, indie, guerilla-style filming. You're outside, and suddenly it's the scene where you have to get naked and simulate sex, and then you just find yourself doing it because you're too scared to say no, with a young actor who probably felt just as uncomfortable."