Sreedatri Dhar, Week 8

Tarana Burke – Me Too movement is a movement not a moment.

In 2006, a sexual harassment survivor, Tarana Burke started a revolutionary movement called the Me-Too movement which sparked a fire among the various sexually harassed survivors across the world. This was a platform intended to voice out the pain and agony suffered by the survivors to take a step forward to make the world free of sexual violence and to inform the numerous victims haunted by the same trauma that they are not alone and have an army of people right behind them to support them. As said by Tarana Burke herself in the Ted Talk, “The Me-Too Movement is a movement about the far-reaching power of empathy.” However, there are some people who are ridiculing this movement and have been trying to trivialise the attempt of these women to speak up against sexual harassment. It is very necessary to understand that sexual violence is a concerning situation that needs to be addressed to the society. In society, the issue is often downplayed due to the bias in the culture or a gap of power. Movements create possibility. This movement is a platform which focuses on the restoration of humanity and dignity for the survivors and more and more victims of this cruel abuse are taking up the courage to express themselves to the world. It is a platform that for getting the survivors the help they need. The collective trauma is the initial step towards the world that we dream about living in, the world where there is equality and fair justice to all human beings.