You may have noticed #MeToo trending on social media lately.
If you’re not familiar with the movement, it began as a way for women to band together and shed light on just how many women out there have been sexually harassed, assaulted and/or coerced.
Actress Alyssa Milano brought attention to the movement when she Tweeted out: “Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”
With that, hundreds of thousands of women took to social media to share their stories. Keep in mind that those number don’t include all of the women who chose not to speak, or who are just too scared to.
Still, #MeToo continues to illustrate just how common sexual harassment and assault is and how it affects more women than some people would like to admit.
Shortly after the movement went viral, another movement sprung up in response.
Men have been tweeting out #HowIWillChange in response to women sharing their stories, and while there is obviously still a tremendous amount of work to be done, this just might be a step in the right direction.
All too often, the burden of assault falls on the victim leaving them feeling confused and to blame. That’s why it’s so important for people to start identifying how they’ll change to keep this from happening, or at the very least keeping victims from feeling like any of this is their fault.
The day after the #MeToo movement took off, Benjamin Law, a writer and activist, tweeted out: “Guys, it’s our turn. After yesterday’s endless #MeToo stories of women being abused, assaulted and harassed, today we say #HowIWillChange.”
He even tweeted out a list of ways that men can take action to actively change the issue that’s plaguing our society.
It’s nice to see that other men also began to tweet out ways that they plan on changing in response to the #MeToo movement.
Some men plan to take action by acknowledging when other men act in a harassing manner, and calling them out on it.
Others are taking a stance on acknowledging that this isn’t the norm and should not be treated as if it is.
It’s also important to realize that just because you say something is harmless, doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
While we’re over the moon that men and people in general are finally noticing and acknowledging the scale at which sexual harassment and assault happens, it’s important to remember that this is a movement that needs to go beyond social media.
Real action needs to be taken, and hopefully #HowIWillChange will facilitate the beginnings of a change.
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