The ‘me too.’ movement was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to help survivors of sexual violence, particularly young women of colour from low wealth communities. The movement was created to ensure survivors that they are not alone in their journey and to de-stigmatise survivors by highlighting the prevalence of sexual violence in society.
In 2017, #MeToo developed into a broader movement on social media following Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations.
Here’s looking at the movement and the woman who started it all:
1. Time magazine named Burke, among a group of other prominent female activists dubbed "the silence breakers", as the Time Person of the Year for 2017.
2. Burke is the Senior Director of Girls for Gender Equity in Brooklyn, which strives to help young women of colour increase their overall development through various programs and classes.
3. In 1997, Burke met a young girl in Alabama who said that she was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. Burke didn't know what to say, and never saw the girl again. She wished she had said, "me too." This prompted her to create Just Be Inc., an organisation that promotes the wellness of young female minorities aged 12–18.
4. The purpose of the Me Too movement, according to Burke, was to uplift one another as they saw a disparity in how women of colour were treated when they reported abuse.
5. Since 1998, over 17,700,000 women have reported sexual assault.