The #Metoo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, is an organization that helps survivors of sexual violence, to find ways of healing, to let survivors know they’re not alone, to speak up, and brings awareness to sexual violence. Recently the movement has been getting a lot of attention, from Kesha singing her single “Praying” with Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day, Julia Michaels and Bebe Rexha and the Resistance Revival Chorus while wearing white, to famous actors and singers wearing black to the Golden Globes and Grammys, and the State of the Union wearing black in solidarity with the victims of sexual violence.
#Metoo isn’t perfect though. I believe the movement is flawed in the way that it doesn’t truly fight back against sexual violence, harassment, and abuse. While many women have come forth and spoken up about their experience of sexual violence, harassment, and abuse, a lot of people aren’t clear about what sexual assault is, and they won’t be able to speak up or know how to stop it from continuing. Having people who are educated in what exactly sexual violence, abuse or assault is, is an important factor in fighting back against sexual violence.
The movement is also very biased. While women have a higher percentage of being sexually harassed and men have had this type of experience as well, such as the man who came forward about Kevin Spacey, who has since been accused of sexually assaulting multiple men. It’s important that men do support the #Metoo movement, but we shouldn’t push them aside and put them in the background, they need to have a voice in the movement as well.
#Metoo has wonderful goals and bringing awareness to something this horrible is a very brave thing to do, and to help people find their voice, and to show the survivors of sexual violence that they aren’t alone in this journey. However, if the #Metoo movement would reach out to others to help define what sexual violence is, and to help guide them on how to take stop it from happening, and if it were to open up and not be so biased towards only women, share the sides of all genders that have had this awful experience it would be more effective in the fight against sexual violence.
This organization has a long way to go in the fight to end sexual violence, it’s only looking at one part of it, when instead it should be taking charge and fight sexual violence as a whole.
