#metoo is for all of you

Hashtag #metoo took over social media on Monday. Women in the UK and around the world started sharing the hashtag, some even sharing their thoughts and experiences.

The ball started rolling with actress Alyssa Milano sharing an idea on Twitter late Sunday night to her over three million followers. The hashtag was shared over 12 million times on Facebook in the first 24 hours. It was later discovered that Me too was originally started by activist Tarana Burke 10 years ago.

The harassment women face is often lost behind faceless numbers and paragraphs, or regarded as an isolated case. This campaign has effectively brought the immediacy and severity of the problem into the public eye. Many women who have not previously told anyone about the abuse they have experienced are now sharing their stories.

In order to get an idea of the true scale of the situation, one only has to look at their social media accounts. Realising the likelihood that you have friends and family who have been affected brings it even closer to home.

We reached out to women who live in Scotland, and study at the University of Aberdeen, and some were brave enough to share their thoughts on exactly why this campaign is needed, why they shared the two words on social media or, in some cases, why they didn't.

“I was abused in the 90s by a person close to my parents. He told my dad he had a job for me as a personal assistant in London. He invited me for an interview in London one evening when I lived in the Cotswolds. I got the train to Paddington and I arrived with my suitcase with a view to go to my father’s flat afterwards.
He had a camp bed in his study and half a pint of brandy which he hoped I would drink before he took me out for my dinner/interview. I did not drink brandy but politely went for the dinner. He tried to stick his tongue down my throat in the taxi on the way back to get my suitcase from his flat. He then tried to get me to drink the brandy before showing me the 'camp bed' – at the age of 21 I took the initiative to get in the quickest taxi possible.
Apparently it would've been embarrassing if I had brought it up at the time. What the hell kind of decade was I living in??!!” – 49 year old Scottish professional

“I think everyone's had to deal with someone groping their bum at some point without them wanting to and that kind of behaviour needs to be called out and recognised for what it is. For me the hashtag can open you up to questions that you maybe don't want to share the answers to.

I have my parents on social media and I guess it's part of the problem but I wouldn't want share any stories of sexual assault that I've experienced with them, I guess it makes me feel stronger to keep it to myself and move on than to tell everyone about an incident I went through and own up to the fact that it had an effect on me. Which is probably really anti- breaking the stigma and raising awareness, but you have to do what's right for you I think and what's right for your mentality” – 22 year old Scottish student

“I've had countless experiences of insensitive male behaviour throughout my life. They first one was when I was 13 an old man was trying to flirt with me right in front of the eyes of my parents, which set my dad off of course. One of the other moms who was there with me claimed that it was my own fault because I'd dressed revealingly, well it was summer and 28 degrees excuse me for wearing shorts.

The most obvious example of harassment in Aberdeen is after it’s dark with half-intoxicated men on the street, cat calling and touching seems to be a natural part of walking on the street as a woman in Aberdeen. In the clubs and bars, it also appears that as soon as a female enters this property her body is no longer hers, it is just op for grabs and any male is welcome to feel her out.
I honestly just think people need to start speaking up. People that are around when it happens, or the person whom it happens to, I don’t think that people have actually realised how often this actually happens and how much it affects women and I think the campaign can help improve that.” – 22 year old Danish student

“#MeToo is important because too many people think that sexual harassment and assault are things that happen to a few, whereas lately they can see that many of their friends and family members have been affected by it. Because people still think that cat-calling can be seen as a “compliment”, when we didn’t ask for it. Because of all the unwanted touches, undesired stares, and unforgiving labels. Because we have to keep an eye open at all times, even when taking a bus or going for a walk.
I stand with all women and I’m glad to see something changing, I’m glad to see so many people speaking up and taking a stand against those matters. We need to keep fighting and not let anyone do anything to us that we don’t want to, no more.” – 21 year old Italian student

The first step in solving the problem is ensuring that everyone realises that there is one.

Thank you to all the strong women who came forward to share their experiences and thoughts.

#metoo