#MeToo is a social movement that first emerged in 2006 when
activist Tarana Burke used the hashtag “MeToo” on MySpace as a
way to amplify the voices of women, particularly black women,
who had undergone sexual abuse. This movement has since
become more visible and has served as a global inspiration to
survivors who want to share their experiences and support one
another’s process of healing. While this movement originated in
the early 2000s, it was reinvigorated and widely popularized in
2017 after the infamous Harvey Weinstein case, generating
questions about where it is today, and what the movement has
produced.
In October 2017, in light of the allegations of sexual assault and
rape toward former film producer Harvey Weinstein, actress
Alyssa Milano took to Twitter to write the famed words: “If
you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply
to this tweet.” With nearly twenty thousand replies and over 19
million hashtags today, #MeToo created a domino effect for
victims of assault to come forward with their personal experiences
and cement the idea that they are not alone.
Statistics on the MeToo website (metoomvmt.org), reveal that
81 percent of women and 43 percent of men reported enduring
sexual harassment or assault in their lifetimes. Those who have
been abused have historically been silenced by society, so Tarana
Burke’s mission has been to help those who have suffered, and
offer them a safe place to process what they’ve been through.
Burke herself explained her fears within the movement in October
of 2022, “if the phrase ‘Me Too’ gets popular in this context …
and we’re not here to ground the conversation and give it some
context, then we’re gonna get lost. And this work will get lost.”
After the outburst of recognition toward victims of sexual
assault, supporters of the movement had hope that something
might be done to hold predators all over the world accountable.
According to The New York Times, “The #MeToo explosion the
next year brought new commitment. Since then, 22 states have
passed laws to make workplaces safer.” This is a step for the
movement and signified a greater change in workplace culture
was happening.
The term, “MeToo” has expanded since 2017 and some
supporters feel as though the meaning behind #MeToo is moving
away from its original purpose. Some consider it to have been
used beyond what Burke had intended, and has started including
topics of gender bias, domestic violence, and verbal abuse.
Though the name recognition could be said to have strengthened
its objective to support survivors, The New York Times made the
point that it “makes it a challenge even for supporters to define
clear objectives or tabulate gains and losses.” So the popularity has
made people question the real focus of this movement, and
whether or not it was deteriorating from its original means.
Others have argued that while there were not a huge amount of
government policy changes, the principle of aiding the mental
health of these victims and encouraging the voices of these
individuals was in and of itself an accomplishment for our society
and future generations.
Many individuals for so long have chosen not to come forward
due to the fear that their story will be overlooked, that no one will
believe them, and the urging anxiety that when people look at
them, that’s all that they will see. The #MeToo movement has
changed the narrative for victims of rape, sexual assault, and
harassment. Although, after five years of initially going viral, some
spectators wonder if the movement is stagnating behind the
massive social progression it has held.