"Me Too" - 2 little words to describe a woman's experience with sexual harrassment and assault. The hashtag has filled Twitter and Facebook from women who have experienced all levels of unwanted harrassment and assault.
The hashtag 'Me Too' was started in response to allegations made against producer and director Harvey Weinstein. Although, almost every woman has experienced harrassment in some shape or form the latest news has sparked an outcry for change. Stars like Alyssa Milano, Debra Messing, PiNK and men like Terri Crews have all spoken up against sexual harrassment.
In the United States alone the statistics for sexual harrassment and assault are alarming.
Women are harrassed or assaulted more often than men but the stories being shared are raw and unapologetic. It's only because of social media we hear more from victims and are forced to face the reality. It happens in all areas of our lives including the workplace. Nearly a third of all women are sexually harrassed in the worplace but 2 thirds of that population report it. Women do not deserved to be treated poorly in any industry. We are not objects or eye candy.
In the mom industry harrassment is prevelant in the jokes we make about men/dads, in the harrassment nursing moms experience for breastfeeding in public, at trade shows from male investors and media ovesexualizing our breasts. The mom industry is built on bettering women's lives but it's ripe with harrassment and discriminatory practices. In some cases women have to sexualize what they're selling in order to make impressions or sales, because the industry is so competitive and sex sells.
Even the nursing room industry was started because women are not provided proper accomodations to pump and then are harrassed in public for breastfeeding. It doesn't stop. Thankfully we are making changes in how women are viewed by empowering them.
If you have been sexually assaulted there are resources available. Reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline Here.
