For the last few days, #MeToo movement has picked up momentum and many women are coming out with horrific tales of severe harassment in their past lives. They are not afraid anymore to expose famous persons including those at ministerial levels. As a senior journalist Neeraja Chowdhury opined ( An exit, a beginning, updated October 18, 2018, indianexpress.com), ” The #MeToo revelations are like the eruption of a volcano which was imminent, given the journey working women have covered. It was not easy to make public what they had gone through,and take on powerful men’. Thus, a government which ‘ distanced’ itself from the controversy surrounding the minister MJ AKbar for nearly ten days, had to face the heat of public criticism. Ultimately, he had to resign from the post.
Patriarchy power
Though the movement is gaining in strength in its goal of projecting extent of harassment by dominant male, the patriarchal order entrenched in society is retaliating with force almost equally. In an interview, Shatrughan Sinha said, ‘ this #MeToo campaign is being blown out of proportions’ . (October 18, 2018, indianexpress.com). He also said that the problem of sexual exploitation doesn’t end with some names being put out in the social media. Opposition to the movement from male is, thus, growing.
Backlash fears
Some women have also become sceptical. The French actress Catherine Deneuve was one of the signatories to an open letter from 100 women that suggested that the movement had gone too far and was risking infantilizing women and denying them agency and becoming puritanical. The letter suggested that the movement seemed to be condemning even flirtatious behaviour ( Backlash to the # MeeToo movement, freethoughtblogs.com ). Another author Margaret Atwood has sparked controversy after writing an op-ed titled ‘Am I a bad feminist?’in The Toronto Globe and the Mail voicing concerns about the direction that she saw the #MeToo movement as heading towards .
These indicate that some opponents may try to weaken the movement.
Future
As Neeraja Chowdhury expresses,’ Yes, there is the potential for the misuse of #MeToo. Anyone can level a charge against anyone on the social media and dent a reputation – to fix a political opponent, to get back at some one who ‘ wronged’ the woman, not necessarily sexually, but by pulling her up or by not giving her the break she was looking for, etc.’
But any law or effort has potential for some misuse. The problems should be addressed as they crop up and safeguards must be put in place.
‘The # MeToo movement is a direct response to a system that has punished victims, rather than the perpetrators, for coming forward, writes Liesl Gerntholz , Executive Director, Womens Rights Division ( January 29, 2018, Beware The ##MeToo backlash – It Masks Ugly Lies about Women, www.hrw.org). The answers to fairness and proportionality concerns lie, in not discrediting victims and their undermining their complaints. The workplace must put in place fair and transparent procedures to receive, investigat and respond to allegations of sexual abuse and harassment.
Change is often difficult, and when it’s personal, it can be downright stinging, says MICHAEL COHEN (Backlash against Me Too movement is unjustified, Feb,19, 2018, thestar.com) . This movement has made the vulnerable women speak out against the rules and centuries of exploitation. It has given daughters to openly express their experiences of abuses to their fathers and also oppose their fathers if they are found to be charged with sexual harassment as Nandita Das pledging support to Me Too despite allegations on her father Jatin Das as posted on her Facebook. (October 17, 2018, kracktivist.org). He is noted painter. This speaks volumes on the impact of the movement.
Hence, the movement can achieve a lot in future.
The writer from anywhere and everywhere supports equality for all
My Dear Sheshu Babu,
There are mainly two types of humans on this Earth the ones who knows how to control that organ that lies between their legs and the ones who do not and there too my Good Lord seems to have rectified and helped humanity out by revealing them to all through their dickheads and in short humanity has lost the importance of the E in their Humane Character because most of them are dickheads and a very few of them know the importance of that E in that Humane Character of Humanity.
Wishing you all the best Sir. Have a nice weekend ahead of you Sir Sheshu Babu.
Unfortunately not all of the perpetrators are caught or brought to a court of law:
Trump quotation:
I moved on her like a bitch.
Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.
Transcript: Donald Trump’s Taped Comments About Women – The …
Following is an unedited transcript of the tape in which Donald J. Trump repeatedly made vulgar comments about women. Mr. Trump was filmed talking to the television personality Billy Bush of “Access Hollywood” on the set of “Days of Our Lives,” where Mr. Trump was making a cameo appearance. They are later joined by the actress Arianne Zucker. The transcription is by Penn Bullock of The New York Times.
Trump contradicts Cohen: ‘Hush money payments came from me’ – as …
https://www.theguardian.com/…/22/trump-turmoil-aftermath-cohen-manafort-verdicts-li…
Aug 22, 2018 – President’s claim regarding payments to women at odds with former … Michael Cohen hit with subpoena in case alleging Trump charity violations … On August 22, 2018, in an interview with Fox & Friends, Trump says he …
Michael Cohen trial: Trump accused of directing hush money – BBC …
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45265546
22 August 2018 … US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has pleaded guilty in a New … In May, he admitted reimbursing Cohen for paying one of the women, having earlier denied any knowledge of it. … stories about a political candidate can be treated as a violation of US campaign finance laws.
One can expect that some of these women are liars or are mentally unstable, but certainly not ALL:
The 22 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct …
https://www.businessinsider.com/women-accused-trump-sexual-misconduct-list-2017-…
Sep 26, 2018 – At least 22 women have accused President Donald Trump of sexual …. that while she felt “violated” on that occasion, she hadn’t accused Trump …