Abcarian: On the fifth anniversary of the #MeToo movement, the reckoning continues
The #MeToo movement was born when Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano called out sexual misconduct on social media, encouraging her audience to join her in calling out sexual misconduct across the industry. The #MeToo Movement was birthed from social media and the media. It has been embraced by people across the world, and the response has been incredible.
The #MeToo movement began in the U.S. and Canada with a handful of major women who were out and proud. There has been a huge wave in support for victims, an outpouring of support and accountability for the men in the industry, and the solidarity that has erupted around the world.
I am a woman who has experienced a lot of sexual misconduct in my life, first on an official level and then on an unofficially level, that has changed the way I see the world and my place in it. But the #MeToo Movement was instrumental in helping me see the world and my place in it and recognize these behaviours as unacceptable. Because of the #MeToo movement I understand that it is not just about me and it’s about everyone who experiences sexual harassment and abuse.
I, for one, cannot stand by and expect other people to know how to treat women better. I cannot allow others to abuse women in the way that I have been abused.
In the years since the #MeToo movement has come into play, I’ve been through my share of painful experiences with a man in my life. We were in an abusive relationship during my university years, and he was able to manipulate me and abuse me both emotionally and physically. I was at my lowest point in my life when I made a decision to leave that man. I felt I had nothing left to give to him and that it was time for me to leave.
I walked out the door and I started
