What Is the #MeToo Movement?

The California news has been filled with stories about well-known people being accused of sexual harassment and assault. While it was one high-profile case that started it all, there was another movement that brought every person into the fight against such actions. You may have seen the hashtag MeToo on social media. The #MeToo movement, according to The Atlantic, was started by actress Alyssa Milano to help bring awareness to the number of women who have experienced sexual assault or harassment.

Within hours of Milano posting the MeToo hashtag, it took off. Women everywhere were posting it. You might have even been one of them. Some told their stories while others simply wrote #MeToo.

The whole idea behind #MeToo is to let women know they are not alone. If you have been a victim of sexual harassment or assault, then you may understand how alone you can feel and why it is often hard to speak up. With the power of the #MeToo movement, many women have been inspired to come forward.

Giving a voice to a group that has always been encouraged to stay silent has been quite powerful. Men, too, have been empowered to step forward and overcome whatever it is that has held them back. The greatest part of this movement is it tells abusers that their actions will no longer be kept secret or be tolerated, which is incredibly powerful to finally stopping it. This is intended to be educational and not intended as legal advice.