What is the #MeToo movement?

In 2006, human rights activist, Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual assault and abuse in society. She originally created the movement to support young, disadvantaged women of colour to heal from their experiences of sexual abuse, sexual assault and exploitation. Little did Tarana know that 11 years later the movement would become a global phenomenon overnight.

#MeToo - a global phenomenon

In October 2017, the #MeToo movement went viral after Hollywood

actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a call-out to victims in the wake of the

Harvey Weinstein allegations "so we might give people a sense of the

magnitude of the problem."

Overnight, the #MeToo movement became a global phenomenon, with women and men in 85 countries around the world using the hashtag to bring attention to sexual assault, sexual abuse and sexual harassment, in an effort to bring about change.

The 'Silence Breakers' - 2017 Person of the Year

#MeToo Time Magazine Person of the Year 2017

Time magazine went on to name the millions

of people who spoke out against sexual

violence and harassment the 'Silence

Breakers', and subsequently awarded the

#MeToo movement as it's 2017 Person of

the Year. Time Magazine editor Edward

Felsenthal acknowledged all of the inspirational individuals for giving their 'voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable'.

Tarana Burke responded to the award with a call for 'a complete cultural transformation if we are to eradicate sexual assault in our lifetimes' and posed the question ....

'when you hear #MeToo, will you stand up and say #NoMore?'.

I certainly will.