By: Fiona Fitzsimons

I’m sure everyone has seen the trending tag “#metoo”. This tag has so much more meaning to it other than just being a meaningless hashtag on someone’s post. In 2018, thousands of women participated in the “me too” movement. This movement was calling out powerful men for sexual harassment and sexual assault, once one brave women took the stance against a man, they were not alone. After one woman would call out a certain powerful man, many other females shared the same experience with that same man. Not only did this movement call attention to sexual harassment in workplaces, this movement has made so many positive changes for females. Many have heard of the uplifting story’s of the me too movement but few have heard of any negatives. The media focuses on all the positives of this movement which tend to block out the negatives of the “me too” movement. 

In the past women have chosen to stay silent when a boundary was crossed by a male, especially when it was someone they worked with. It wasn’t worth losing their job, they thought. They thought it was their own fault and started to believe that they were in fact the guilty one. This was the problem the me too movement solved. Thousands of women stood up for themselves and called out these horrible men around the world. Times magazine gave their well known person of the year award in 2017 to “The silence breakers”. The “silence breakers” were those women participating in the me too movement who broke their silence. Times highlights these brave women on speaking out on their experiences. Many explained that they were threatened by their attacker to not tell anyone, some stating they would even go after the victims’ kids, if they were to speak up. This article focuses on how speaking out wasn’t the hard part, many victims explain in this article that they would experience assault from their attacker multiple times and how their attack held such an emotional and physical burden, many experienced some form of PTSD. Thousands of women across the nation came together and discovered they were not alone. All experienced such gruesome harassment and the aftermath of it left them feeling alone and depressed.  This award from Times, gives light to these brave women who participated in the me too movement, and how future generations of women will be affected in such a powerful way. This article ensures that sexual harassment in the workplace will be reduced, and those who experience it will receive justice for their assaults.

Although this movement started up in the United States, it quickly spread across the seas, creating a global movement. Multiple countries have experienced a movement similar to the one seen in America. America was very lucky to have such a positive and quick response to the me too movement. Sadly, countries like India limit justice for females. When indian women took the stance amongst their attackers, they were shut down and told there’s no evidence. As explained in the Washington Post, women quickly became discouraged in India. Although these attackers did not receive a just punishment, the women accusing them felt some sort of satisfaction calling out their attackers. In some way drawing negative attention to powerful men, even the minister of India. The article expands on how Japan had a similar experience with the me too movement. Victims were calling out their male perpetrators and were being shut down, It was easy for them to become discouraged as well. Luckily they weren’t, these women demanded justice and created a movement similar to the me too movement, called “flower demonstrations’ , this movement was calling out powerful men for sexual harassment. This was proof that Japan’s society was slowly but surely making a positive movement for females across Japan. 

This movement gave relief to so many suffering victims. For example, As stated in USA Today, Miriam Mayer experienced heartbreaking sexual assault attack at the start of her hollywood career from a male composer, she states “I really wanted/needed that job, it was a great opportunity, but I couldn’t go back. There was no one to report to”. Miriam like many other women valued her career, and had to give up on it due to sexual assault. She thanks the me too movement as now women who experience what she did will now have an opportunity to report and speak up, and hopefully not have to give up their career, like herself. Many victims felt like themselves again and found relief in knowing their attackers were getting punished for their disgraceful actions. Females across the nation stood up together for tramus they have experienced and finally received justice for. Now, the nations younger generations were even being taught about sexual harassment, and how wrongful it is. Girls are now taught how to protect themselves and deal with harassment, while boys are taught to not conduct such an evil attack. How could such a powerful movement even be at question for hurting women?

Sadly, with everything comes backlash. After this moment, many men found fear in working with women. Mens news feeds were filled up with successful, powerful men being thrown behind bars. Although women benefited from calling out their attackers, they have received consequences in their workplaces due to this movement. Men have become so overly conscious when working with women, that they would rather be working with men. Recent studies done by the Human Resource Executive showed that  22% of men and 44% of women agreed that females were being excluded from social interaction due to the fear of men being accused. This is extremely harmful to women’s careers. When competing with males at jobs, they are presented with less opportunities due to the fact that they are female. Sadly, nearly one third of men claim they stay away from holding one on one meetings with women, out of fear of being falsely accused according to Human Resource Executive. Once again this is a major setback to women who are constantly competing with males. After a poll conducted in 2019 by Human Resource Exec, it found 19% of men stay away from hiring women they find attractive, as they see that as a liability to their office. Unfortunately, as women gain more respect in workplaces and receive justice for their tragic attacks, they recieve setbacks in their careers for simply being a female. This makes one question the risk versus the reward in this situation. If one were to value their career and receive a massive loss of opportunity due to them being seen as a “liability” in a work place, one would not be too fond of the me too movement.

Much more evidence was found to support the backlash of the me too movement, as time went on. Harvard Business review explains the “Mike Pence Rule”. This so called “rule” being that a man would not eat dinner one on one with another woman not being their wife. Obviously this is very threatening to women, if every man were to follow this “rule” women would be passed up in so many opportunities, big and small. The bigger problem about this “rule”, is that this is a leader of our country stating that.  When a country’s leader is saying things that will negatively affect females, it really makes one think if women have made progression through the me too movement. Tim Bower, the author of this article explains that when networks as big as the New York Times were posting articles on how positive and powerful this movement is, he didn’t believe it. He knew from the start this movement would hold many consequences for women. Stepping forward in aspects of harassment yet stepping backwards in the form of females careers, as Bower explained. Bower touches on how in recent feminist movements, women have come far in the sense of workplace gender equality, yet this me too movement serves as a huge step backwards. Unfortunately, he forecasted the truth. 

This question being asked if the me too movement is helping or hurting women, really depends on one’s values. If one were to value their career and how hard they have worked, just to have missed opportunities of promotion due to their gender. This movement would obviously be hurting them. They would not be benefiting from this powerful movement in the long run. Whereas, If a woman was constantly being harassed in her work place, and was suffering, she would  graciously benefit from this. She would finally be free of her attacker and could find peace in that. Everything comes with backlash. Even some of the most positive powerful movements like this me too movement come with backlash. 

Writing this paper I honestly felt disappointed in myself. I thought it was wrong to even question the me too movement. As it was such an uplifting movement to so many women suffering around the world. I was ashamed by the backlash I researched about, It was my first time hearing of it. How could such a powerful movement like this wound up hurting women at the same time of helping them. I really think the question being asked has an answer depending on one’s values and background. I guess it’s really asking if women are benefiting or falling back more due to this movement.