#Metoo: Hollywood Scandal Turns into Global Movement Against Sexual Harassment

If you’ve been anywhere on social media for the past couple months, then you must’ve been following up on the multiple sexual harassment allegations against American movie producer Harvey Weisntein, whose fall from grace began with a New York Times article published on October 5 and has been making rounds in Hollywood ever since, with more and more women, including A-list actresses, coming forward to reveal they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein. In the wake of the snowballing scandal, #Metoo, a two-word hashtag denouncing sexual assault spread virally on social media in over 85 different country. The hashtag, initially attributed to a phrase coined in 2006 by social activist Tarana Burkewas as part of a grassroot women empowerment campaign, was first popularized in October by American actress and activist Alyssa Milano who encouraged women to spread the phrase and share their personal sexual harassment experiences in an effort to raise awareness on the prevalence and magnitude of the problem in today’s societies. Since then, millions of people, including public figures, activists and celebrities, have tweeted their personal stories and support messages under the hashtag, which does not only stand as one of 2017’s most viral hashtags, but has also turned into a global movement pioneering women empowerment and social change.