Over a year ago, millions raised their hands and said #metoo. These hands still remain raised and the unity of women across the world grew stronger and it became clear how big of an issue sexual harassment/assault is. With a simple hashtag women who hid behind the shadows came forward and spoke their truth. Women finally got the strength to conquer their fears and unleash their voice. I am one of those females. My aggressor was my own uncle and mother’s boyfriend. It took me nine years to tell my own mother that my uncle sexually abused me. I hid behind the fear that no one will believe me because I took such a long time to come forward and because I cared for my aggressor. He had a child and I didn’t want the child to grow up fatherless. We live in a world where if a woman takes several years to come forward about an assault, they are automatically lying because there is no proof. So why should any woman come forward if we won’t be trusted if people assume that we are falsely accusing the predator who is actually a good human being. Since the metoo movement we learned that 81% of women and 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment or assault in the U.S.
Being a woman in this country and even around the world is a very difficult thing to be. We are dehumanized, looked down upon and are worth is based on looks and not intelligence. The #MeToo movement helped many women from different race, gender, culture come together as one and unify for those who aren’t able to speak. Since the movement began different women from different culture have been coming forward about harassment/abuse/assault that they have experienced. Color doesn’t determine whether you will get assaulted or harassed. It doesn’t matter if you have breast or an ass. Not to take men out of the equation, not to say that they are not victims of harassment. Most perpetrators or abusers “are men, irrespective of the gender of sexual orientation of the victim.” (Armstrong, E. 2018)When it comes to sexual violence you can see that there is a boundary that is constructed between men and women. |
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