Me Too Movement

MeToo Movement

The MeToo Movement has made an impact all around the world that has encouraged individuals to speak out about their experiences of sexual violence on social media sharing a post with #MeToo. 1 in 4 women will experience sexual violence sometime in their life so this movement is an opportunity for survivors to support each other and to tell their stories . It leverages on “empowerment through empathy,” to find ways to heal together and has made an impact on both everyday people and celebrities while continuing to grow stronger .

How it Began

2006 - Tarana Burke is a survivor of sexual violence and is a Black activist from Harlem . Her experience with sexual abuse was tragic so she wanted to bring recognition of sexual violence, especially for women of colour and those that were in low-income families as the effect is intensified for these women as they deal with social criticisms of being in an ethnic minority, sexism and poverty all at once . In order to create this awareness, she created a nonprofit organization, Just Be Inc., to help those that became victim of sexual harassment and assault, and further went to define her efforts, in a movement called the MeToo Movement .

October 15, 2017 - Actress Alyssa Milano popularized the phrase #metoo on social media. She wanted to further the allegations that producer Harvey Weinstein has raped many females in the entertainment industry so she tweeted, "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet" . She described that she wanted to help people understand the magnitude of the problem. Within 24 hours, “MeToo” had been tweeted by over half a million people . Milano’s simple tweet brought incredible response on social media that is helping victims and survivors from all around the world to come together in solidarity.

TimesUp

Many celebrities felt so powerful about the MeToo Movement that they decided to further the conversation and create the TimesUp Movement which was initiated on January 1, 2018. Over 300 female celebrities decided to unite to continue the awareness of the sexual harassment that is occurring in the Hollywood industry and in blue-collar workplaces, industries where women are silenced and are male-dominated. These influential women came together for a purpose to reach gender parity and allow females to speak out without being afraid, and attempt to rise up in the ranks

Their first initiative started at the Golden Globes on January 7, 2018, where women unified together by wearing black. Instead of speaking about which designer they were wearing, the women took this opportunity to speak out and recognize the victims of sexual harassment and their movement towards reducing the gender imbalance in industries . The TimesUp Movement shows that no matter your income level, you may be susceptible to sexual harassment as not only are low-income women dealing with this issue, but high paying women are also greatly affected.

Men and the MeToo Movement

This movement is not only for women, but to recognize those men that have also been sexually abused. However, despite the repercussions they face, men’s experiences tend to be unreported and unrecognized because they try to cope by not accepting the impact that the experience has made on their lives . They try to conform to stereotypes that men are strong and are unaffected by any circumstances. This online platform has encouraged men to speak out as well about their experiences so that both men and women that were affected by this violence can stand together.

On the other hand, this movement also gave rise to #IDidThat and #HowIWillChange. It allows men to come forward with their story of harassing women, so they can share their insights and contribute to helping finding a solution . It shows that past abusers are willing to come forward and show that they have realized the effects of their actions, and that they are willing to change and help out. It is important for men to stand up so that they can help shift the movement towards reaching gender equity and a safe environment for all.

Impact All Over The World

Social media is a powerful platform that encourages those that would have otherwise not participated in this movement, to participate by either using the two simple words or providing in-depth details of their experiences . It made it very clear how widespread this issue was and within 10 days, Milano’s tweet went viral throughout 85 different countries allowing underserved women all around the world to participate .

The movement has made the most impact in the United States where many well-known men have lost their jobs due to sexual allegations. However, there has been a forward movement all around the world from this global phenomenon. Some advancements include:

China: Even though using #MeToo is censored on social media, women have started using other hashtags such as #RiceBunny to show their solidarity with this movement.

France: There is new legislation in progress on sexual violence and possibly fines to be given out for sexist catcalls.

Britain: It was found that an annual men-only gala made it mandatory to be served by females wearing short skirts and high heels. This resulted in many men groping the women so this gala has now been terminated after the movement brought attention to it.

Africa: The MeToo Movement only had a modest impact as women do not have very strong support systems here, but the movement has allowed for some progress to be made, supporting women to be more confident to speak out .

The MeToo Movement has gone above to transcend borders and nationalities and bringing this topic into the mainstream has allowed it to be so powerful. Women do not define sexual violence in an identical way due to differences in age, race, history and social positions , but despite these differences, this movement allows these women to unite together for the same purpose of stopping men from feeling that they are allowed to sexually harass women.