I stand with #MeToo

If there is anything this year has taught us it’s that women get treated like shit. Not that this is a brand new concept. But it seems like this was the year for scumbags. If you didn’t get already from my title, today I want to talk a bit about the #MeToo movement and the awareness of sexual violence.

Most of yall have heard of the Me Too movement and if you haven’t well let me just break it down for yall.

Tarana Burke created the movement in 2006 to help women, particularly WOC to find ways of healing from sexual abuse. She coined the term #MeToo to encourage communities to be more open about sexual violence. Since its emergence in 2006, it has gained major prominence and has lead to the exposure of many powerful men.

What is up with men who can’t keep their hands to themselves?!!

Men such as Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Jeffery Episten, Cuba Gooding Jr…I mean the list can go on forever. These are men who thought a simple touch would go unnoticed, a graze of a boob wouldn’t harm anyone or even worse age doesn’t matter.

Global issue

The issues are not “women need to cover up” but men need to stop feeling like it is their right. That it is their right to touch, grab or grope. This is a global disease. Women from all over the world have their own stories and its a scary thought to think about. There will be little girls out there that will develop their own warped views of sex and love before they can even understand the complexities of their own bodies.

BBC Africa released a documentary this year called Sex for Grades. It shows what life is like for young women in Africa that go to Uni. Many young women before the age of 18 are proposed by their professors to have sex or be involved in sexual conduct with them. In exchange, they pass their classes. If they refuse they could potentially not earn a degree.

I don’t want to say too much because I really want you guys to watch the documentary. But there was one story that really struck a chord with me. A woman named Naa-not her real name due to privacy purposes- traumatized from the countless amount of times she has been sexually assaulted by professors tried to kill herself 4 times after she graduated. 4 times! Naa can’t sleep without the lights turned off and she gets frequent panic attacks as well. This is just one story I’m recounting out of thousands. We need to stop stories like Naa from becoming too familiar.

This is why catcalling women walking by themselves is not cute. Why grabbing women by the waist to get through is not harmless. You don’t know what women go through and as men, you should check your own actions next time your at a party, bar or whatever.

Why I stand with #MeToo

Imagine living with so much shame for something you couldn’t control. That is how society looks at sexual assault. They shame women for not being able to get out of the situation. The #MeToo movement is trying to reverse that ideology.

I stand with #MeToo.

I stand with #MeToo because I am tired of hearing stories like Naa.

I stand with #MeToo because we need to protect women, all women, and particularly black young women.

Check out my Girl Power post.