By Siyona Bordia ‘25, Social Justice Writer

#MeToo is a movement that works to stimulate social change in our community and is centered around experiences of sexual harassment. The initiative has attracted the attention of highly influential figures and has progressed enormously since its commencement. It was created in 2006 by Tarana Burke and was advertised to various social media outlets. The movement was eventually popularized in 2017 when high-profile actresses such as Jennifer Lawrence and Reese Witherspoon discussed their experiences with sexual harassment in the film industry.  #MeToo strives to surmount sexual harassment concerns in daily life.

The lowered rate of sexual violence (dropping by 6% since 2018) is credited to those who shared their experiences because their stories inspired action. In the Nation in February 2018, journalist Katha Pollitt wrote, “The core of #MeToo has been people coming forward whose accounts were then investigated by journalists in publications…That is how we know about Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, etc.” Because of #MeToo, men and women who are suspected to be sexual predators are investigated and punished if they are found guilty. 

 #MeToo is also alleviating some effects of the crisis in Afghanistan. Thousands of women are fleeing Afghanistan, with or without male partners. These unprotected women are more susceptible to rape, sexual harassment, and abuse throughout their journey and at the refugee camps, they are fleeing to. Afghan women live in a patriarchal, male-dominated society, and are often terrified of reporting any abuse for the fear of making their partners angry. However, just in early 2021, the #MeToo movement sparked a 20% increase in reporting cases of sexual harassment in Afghanistan. In countries such as Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, and Pakistan, there were several instances of gang rape, but the movement recently led to a 14% increase in sex-crime reporting with an additional 11,600 reported cases. More reporting means more awareness.

It is also crucial to acknowledge that sexual harassment is a non-gendered experience. Thousands of men are also victims of sexual violence and speak about their experiences. In fact, 1 in 6 men have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Male survivors of sexual assault (some famous: Chris Brown, Kyle Beach), face a myriad of stigmas and misconceptions, ranging from the misguided belief that men can’t be sexually assaulted to the notion that male survivors are less traumatized than women. Several male survivors also express that they are averse to telling their stories “in fear of being taunted or shut down,” explains the New York Times. #MeToo does not conform with these traditional gender stereotypes but acknowledges that anyone can face sexual harassment. 

However, critics argue #MeToo has gone too far, cruelly punishing men for minor misdeeds. “Distinctions among many different types of offenses…were being instantly lost in the fervor,” wrote New York Magazine columnist Andrew Sullivan. “Punishment was always social ostracism and career destruction.” However, proponents insist that #MeToo has not deprived any man of his legal rights. At worst, men have been forced to step down from positions of influence. The people accused in the movement are investigated thoroughly and their punishments are chosen as per the severity of their transgressions. Jill Pilovolic, a TIME writer, explains, “Not every transgression deserves the same punishment. While the accused should not be treated like the criminally convicted (and they aren’t), having people pay no penalties at all, despite huge volumes of evidence against them, seems infinitely worse.” There will always be shortcomings in the system, but appropriate punishments are distributed to the perpetrators.

Sexual harassment impacts women and men everywhere. Therefore, victims of this violence are unsafe until the government and community work together to implement sexual harassment policies. #MeToo is a way to spread awareness about sexual harassment, discipline the perpetrators justly, and attain tangible results. It sends the message that sexual harassment will not be tolerated and certainly, not accepted in society. A coalition of women in the entertainment industry, going by the name of “Time’s Up,” published in a letter, “to every person employed in agriculture who has had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from their boss, every person who has tried to escape an assaultive guest…and to people in every industry who are subjected to indignities and offensive behavior that they are expected to tolerate to make a living: We stand with you. We support you.” The world can change for the better, but it has to be a collective effort.