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Tarana Burke started the “me-too” phrase in 2006 as a way to create empowerment for women who had gone through sexual violence and showing them that there were several other women who had experienced the same (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). Sexual harassment impacts people, especially women, every day. Me too movement involves individuals sharing their experiences with others with the hope of creating more awareness and trying to reduce the tolerance (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). The movement became well known in 2017 after high profiled female actress came forward about their sexual harassment experiences in the film industry (Bhattacharyya, 2018).
The main goal of the MeToo movement was to show empathy and solidarity to young and vulnerable women, by making sure that people understand the prevalence of sexual harassment against women, and also inspire those affected to speak up and get help (MeToo: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). Showing just how common sexual harassment is helps is one of the first steps of the healing process because it helps those affected to understand that they are not alone. In 2017, Alyssa Milano revived the phrase in order to encourage more women to share their stories (Bhattacharyya, 2018). This was seen as the start of a vigorous anti-sexual harassment movement. Being the influential public figure she is, Alyssa started the hash tag “#MeToo” on social media. This happened immediately after prominent Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by several women, most of whom worked in the film industry, of sexual assault. Ashley Jude and McGowan spoke out regarding Harvey’s actions and their boldness inspired many more women to share their stories (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020).
The MeToo movement has had several accomplishments over the years. The movement created a stronger community of women, and created a safe space where everyone felt like they have a voice and could speak out about what had happened to them (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). As more women came forward, it became clear just how widespread the issue is, and how those called out needed to be held accountable for their actions. The movement also led to the creation of the Time’s Up Legal Defense, which presented legal representation for around 4000 survivors (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). This legal defense was consisted of a group of women working in Hollywood. The group sought to represent the many survivors who could not afford their own representation. There was a fund, which since its launching in 2018, has managed to contribute about 24milion dollars. One of the women who benefited from the fund was Brittany Hoyos who had filed a complaint against her coworker who kept making sexual advances towards her despite her making it clear that she was not interested. After refusing his advances, Brittany had been fired after the accused coworker had spread certain rumors about her.
Because of the MeToo movement, states have started banning nondisclosure agreements because they have a reputation of being used to cover up sexual harassment and silence the victims. Zelda Perkins, for example, who was Weinstein’s former assistant, was bound by a nondisclosure agreement she had signed, which prevented her from sharing with anyone anything that had happened to her (Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention, 2020). She spoke out 20 years later. Her case was the perfect example of how these agreements make it possible for powerful and wealthy people to silence their victims. As the movement continued to gain popularity, states like New York, California, and New Jersey passed laws that prohibited using of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment and assault cases (Tippett, 2018).
Another important point to note about the MeToo movement is that it garnered a lot of attention from the media. Social media platforms such as twitter and Facebook played a key role in increasing awareness of the movement through the hashtag. More than one million people are said to have used it across 85 countries. Within 24 hours after the hash tag started, Facebook alone reported 12milion posts, reactions and comments connected or related to the movement. Among the things that went into what the MeToo movement was fighting defining the limits of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Sexual assault can be a form of sexual harassment but not all cases of harassment will qualify as sexual assault. Sexual assault is sexual contact of any kind sexually that happens without the victim consenting to it. It can be rape, groping, or coercing one to engage in sexual acts against their will (Caputi, Nobles & Ayers, 2019). Use of force either physical or mentally in form of manipulation to get into sexual acts with someone is also considered sexual assault, and the victims can either be men or women.
According to the Race, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), millions of Americans have experienced various forms of sexual violence. Majority of the victims are young people and the larger percentage are between the ages of 18 and 34, majority of them are women. Statistics show that 82% of all juvenile victims are female and 90% of adult victims are female. Even though men also suffer from sexual violence, the main victims are the women. The #MeToo movement focuses on the women who have been sexually abused, especially in the work place. Women of color have a higher chance of experiencing sexual harassment than white women. More specifically, black women experience sexual harassment in their places of work at a rate of three times more that white women (Casino & Besen-Cassino, 2019). Perpetrators target the women of color due to the notion that they are less privileged and will be less willing to report the matter (Casino & Besen-Cassino, 2019). Undocumented immigrants are often targeted with the assumption that they will not report due to fear of being deported. Transgender and bisexual and gay women are also usually victims of rape.
There are several causes of sexual harassment, the first one being socialization. This refers to how men and women were brought up and how they see themselves (Saguy, Shuman & Zsekeres, 2020). These factors largely influence their behaviors. For example, in the past, the society deemed it okay for people to discriminate others if they are different in terms of gender, race, and culture and so on. Humiliation of these underprivileged people in our society which leads to sexual harassment was therefore common. Moreover, men were brought up to see themselves as superior to women and when these values are taken to the work place, they will not treat their female colleagues accordingly (Saguy, Shuman & Zsekeres, 2020). They feel they have power over them. Due to that, their female counterparts feel they have less value hence they do not complain when harassed.
Secondly, the victim’s credibility is always questioned. In the majority of cases there are no witnesses in sexual harassment cases and it’s the victim’s word against their harasser’s. In some cases, decent men and those who know the perpetrator will find it hard to believe that their colleague abuse another female employee. In the case of a superior abusing a subordinate, management will most likely believe the superior. Furthermore, if the management is composed of all men, they might not take the matter seriously and choose to side with their own. And in most cases, the victims dressing and lifestyle can be used as a basis to judge a case of harassment. Female employees are advised to dress appropriately and one having a short or provocative dress will be made the reason she was harassed making it her fault (Saguy, Shuman & Zsekeres, 2020). Everyone has the right to accept or decline a sexual advance despite their lifestyle or appearance.
Finally, our moral values over the years have depreciated. There have been a lot of extramarital affairs which make it easy for people to engage in flirtations once in the workplaces. When one tries and the other party is unwilling, it is very easy for them to become aggressive since they think there is no problem with what they want to do. Sometimes men and women go to work while in emotional distress due to the prevalence of divorce and stress in marriage, and this makes them vulnerable to sexual harassment. In our now rapidly changing society, it is hard to discern what is morally right or wrong.
The #MeToo tactic of using the social media to pass on their agenda was very strategic. Through social media, people can share their stories anonymously and this greatly increases the number of women who can open up. When victims see that there are several others going through sexual harassment, they feel relieved knowing they are not alone and should not feel ashamed. Sexual harassment in the work place has reduced due to the awareness women have now. This has put the perpetrators in a tight spot since they no longer have privileges such as the non-disclosure agreements. Punishing powerful people has also laid a foundation for a good working environment for women.
Since sexual harassment mostly affects women, therefore, it is the duty of women to stand up against it whether in the workplaces or schools. When women see other women being sexually harassed they should not discriminate them but rather help her get justice. The #MeToo has had a huge impact in the society today as far as sexual violence is concerned. Women are now empowered and can speak up easily without feeling stigmatized. Laws enacted in several countries and states across the U.S will make it easier for female employees to file a lawsuit against their perpetrators.
References
Tippett, E. C. (2018). The legal implications of the MeToo movement. Minn. L. Rev., 103, 229.
Caputi, T. L., Nobles, A. L., & Ayers, J. W. (2019). Internet searches for sexual harassment and assault, reporting, and training since the# MeToo movement. JAMA internal medicine, 179(2), 258-259.
Bhattacharyya, R. (2018). # MeToo movement: An awareness campaign. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 3(4).
Cassino, D., & Besen‐Cassino, Y. (2019). Race, threat and workplace sexual harassment: The dynamics of harassment in the United States, 1997–2016. Gender, Work & Organization, 26(9), 1221-1240.
Saguy, T., Shuman, E., Szekeres, H. (2020). Views of sexual assault following #MeToo: The role of gender and individual differences, Vol 166 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110203
Me too: Sexual harassment awareness & prevention. (2020). https://online.maryville.edu/blog/understanding-the-me-too-movement-a-sexual-harassment-awareness-guide/
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