The #MeToo movement swept the world's social media networks like wildfire. The movement began as a way for the victims of sexual harassment, assault, and bullying to connect and share their experiences. When this campaign first began, it was astonishing to learn how prevalent sexual assault is and how this issue is not given the attention it deserves.
The movement's history
Tarana Burke, a New York-based feminist activist, coined the phrase #MeToo in 2006. She aimed to empower women who had experienced sexual violence by letting them know they were not alone and that many other women had gone through the same thing. The MeToo campaign against sexual assault and harassment committed by prominent men in society picked up steam in India in October 2018. Many women have come forward with claims of harassment on social media and other forums.
When the #metoo movement emerged, it helped to lift the veil off many people who sexually abused women in and out of the workplace. Many women spoke out against men who abused them and demanded justice. We will also look at some known faces who were major figures in the MeToo movement:
Founder of the Metoo Movement, Tarana Burke (Image source-BBC.com)
Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke, a social activist, first used the slogan "Me Too" on Myspace in 2006 to advocate for "empowerment through empathy" for women of colour who are sexual abuse victims. The Washington Post reports that she was moved to adopt the word after finding it difficult to react to a 13-year-old girl who confided in her that she had experienced sexual assault. Burke afterwards regretted she had just said, "Me too,' to the girl. She has also shown a lot of support for the movement in its current, more developed form.
Alyssa Milano
The former Charmed performer and activist started the #MeToo movement by tweeting on October 15, 2017, "If all the women who have experienced sexual harassment or assault posted 'Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the extent of the problem." Within two days of Milano's tweet, the hashtag was used about a million times on Twitter, claims Twitter. Since then, Milano has expressed her hope that people will support the campaign going forward.
The Tweet heard around the World (Image source-Burnetteshut)
Harvey Weinstein
Weinstein, Hollywood's most powerful producer, has been accused of sexual harassment and rape by multiple women. Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie were among the women who spoke out against the producer during the #metoo movement.
Terry Crews
Terry Crews, an actor and professional athlete, has been one of the #MeToo movement's most outspoken males. Crews said that he was grabbed by a "high-level Hollywood executive at a party," but hasn't named him yet out of fear of reprisals, encouraged by individuals impacted by the Weinstein affair.
Louis C.K
In 2017, Louis, an American comedian and Grammy winner for Best Comedy Album, was accused of sexual misconduct by five women. He was one of the first men in Hollywood whose behaviour was exposed as a result of the #MeToo movement.
Kevin Spacey
Since October 2017, Kevin Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, has been the target of 30 complaints, ranging from attempted rape to harassment. Veteran Broadway performer Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of abusing him when Rapp was 14 years old. Rapp announced on Twitter on October 29, 2017, after his charges became public, that he was stepping forward in support of the several women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of misconduct.
George H.W Bush
According to reports, the first president Bush grabbed multiple women over the years. Six separate females have come forward to claim that the former president inappropriately and violently grabbed them.
Kailash Kher
In 2018, several women accused singer-composer Kailash Kher of sexual harassment on social media. Sona Mohapatra, a member of the music industry, came forward and accused the singer of mistreating her on numerous occasions, while other accusers preferred to stay unnamed.
Mukesh Kumar
Famous Kerala actor and MLA, Mukesh was charged with sexual harassment by a woman named Tess Joseph during the #metoo campaign in India.
Rupi Kaur
Indian-Canadian poet and author Rupi Kaur has written extensively on experiencing sexual assault. She has expressed her hope that the #MeToo movement will result in an "abuse-free" society.
(source-stacker.com)
Nana Patekar
Tanushree Dutta came up with her allegations of sexual misconduct against legendary Bollywood actor Nana Patekar on the set of their 2008 film Horn Ok Please. Even worse, the actress claimed Nana Patekar had a history of abusing women. She claimed that everyone in the business is aware of the actor's disrespect for women and his history of hitting them on the sets of the film.
Jessica Chastain
The actress from Zero Dark Thirty has utilized her platform to promote equal pay in Hollywood and other injustices. Chastain has advocated for men who have had similar experiences and supported the Metoo movement.
Amber Liu
A member of the Korean pop girl group f(x), Amber Liu, posted on Instagram to support the MeToo movement and to emphasize that sexual harassment and assault are global concerns.
Brenden Fraser
Actor Brendan Fraser said that a former Hollywood Foreign Press president grabbed him in 2003 in an interview with GQ magazine published in the early months of 2018.
The Me Too campaign not only offered victims of abuse a voice on a global scale, but it also had a significant long-term impact by fortifying the community of survivors. It also highlighted the need for official anti-harassment rules while updating and enacting laws and policies. For women all across the world, the radical change and breaking of the taboo surrounding sexual abuse have been uplifting.
© Vygr Media Private Limited 2022. All Rights Reserved.
