Number 4 in NEWS 1130’s Top 10 of 2017

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Two little words triggered a huge cultural shift in 2017.

A hashtag trending in dozens of countries over the past few months has changed the culture of silence protecting powerful men.

It was October 15th when the words “#MeToo” were typed into a Twitter post by Actress Alyssa Milano responding to the emerging scandal around disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Within hours, millions of people had joined in the conversation with many sharing that they too had been victims of sexual assault or harassment.

More than 30 women have come forward with allegations against Weinstein. Six women are suing Weinstein and the studio he co-founded. They’re seeking to turn their case into a class-action suit for hundreds of women they believe were sexually assaulted or harassed by the movie mogul during his decades in Hollywood.

More men of Hollywood would become targets of the #MeToo campaign, including a producer of Vancouver filmed shows ‘Supergirl,’ and ‘Arrow’.

Listen: Stephanie Froese brings us Number 4 in NEWS 1130’s Top 10 stories of 2017

 

#MeToo has sparked hundreds of rallies and action events around the world to show support to victims through empathy.

More than 100 people gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery for a rally on November 4th.

Samantha Monckton, one of the organizers, says the social media movement has opened a lot of people’s eyes – including her own.

“(I’ve been) looking at people differently, been on the street thinking ‘maybe they have a situation that they have encountered too’, there’s so many ‘Me Too’s’ out there. We need to do action now, we need to stop this from occurring in the future.”

Time magazine named “The Silence Breakers” as its 2017 person of the year. The cover featured several prominent women who have shared their stories of sexual harassment or assault.

Back in 2006, social activist Tarana Burke launched the beginnings of the #MeToo campaign on MySpace to empower women of colour in underprivileged communities who have experienced sexual abuse.

“I could never have envisioned something that could have changed the world. I was trying to change my community.”

The movement continues to crescendo with accusations hitting every profession, and walk of life, causing organizations to adjust policies and companies to assess their corporate culture.

The Union of BC Performers and ACTRA announced the development of a new code of conduct to help protect local actors amid sexual harassment reports

Powerful men facing multiple accusations have been forced to resign from their positions including members of US Congress.

In December, a trio of women went on live TV to reiterate allegations of sexual misconduct against the US President.

They’re seeking a congressional investigation in order to hold Donald Trump accountable.

The White House is pushing back saying Trump has already denied the allegations.

Hilla Kerner with Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter says the social media campaign is creating a sense of solidarity among victims.

“It’s a way for women to get awareness for the magnitude of the problem of sexual assault and rape.”

She’s encouraging women who want support, or who want to hold perpetrators to account, to contact their local rape crisis centre.