In October 2017, a hashtag was created on social media to raise awareness about sexual assault and harassment. This was created in order to give women and men a way to speak about their situation, feel empowered, and motivate other people in the same situations to speak out. Soon enough, millions were using the widespread hashtag, leading to its spread to many other languages. Additionally, women that teens respect have become heavily involved in the movement, whether coming out as a victim or helping as a contributor.
When the hashtag is typed in, millions of victims and their sexual assault stories appear. One of the most notable sexual assault cases was the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. The team members were being molested by their doctor, Larry Nassar, as they were told it was “part of their treatment.” Retired team member McKayla Maroney shared she had been facing the harassment since the age of 13, and Nassar had been treating the team since 1996. The #MeToo campign is not just for athletes; other celebrites have spoken out too. Molly Ringwald, the iconic 80s star who made her mark with classic movies such as “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles,” came forth to say that she was sexually harassed on numerous occasions from the age of 14, as she was told it would help her career.
In today’s day and age, women have a greater importance as members of society compared to how they were viewed by previous generations. So, now that women are using their voices to their full extent, there may be a greater outcome. More women are speaking out about being abused by men, and while they feel they may have more control, some may feel this is false. Not only are women taking action through the media, but physically as well. This past January, the “Women’s March 2018” took place, as thousands of women were present due to the “Me Too” movement. Additionally, there was recently a march in Hollywood specifically for the movement. Sophomore Shannon Murphy took part in the march in Los Angeles, along with a few other students from CHS.
“Seeing the variety of different people was inspiring and very motivational,” Murphy said. “I feel that the #MeToo movement is a very important and relevant issue, and needed attention.”
As time progresses, women will continue to fight for equality, just like in the “#MeToo” movement. This is whether it is through something as little as a post on Instagram or Twitter, or as largescale as a widespread hashtag, or as major as a march in big cities. Most women have felt it is about time to make a stand, and are not going to stop until they fulfill their expectations.