( ENSPIRE News ) The Silence Breakers…The Movement Continues…
ENSPIRE Contributor: Emmanuel Perilla
Powerful movements are often started by a courageous few who decide to take a leap of faith and challenge the status quo. Time Magazine’s Person of the Year is the Silence Breakers, the women, and men who have broken their silence and have gathered the courage to speak out about the sexual harassment they’ve dealt with in their lives. The Silence Breakers comprise of women of different ethnicities, occupations, and income levels. Although they come from completely different walks of life they have united together in solidarity to put an end to the culture of silence that many women are subjected to. People like Ashley Judd, Alyssa Milano, Selma Blair and singer Taylor Swift have shown that even famous celebrities can share the same painful encounters as ordinary people. The fact that movie stars and songwriters can speak out against their abusers, despite the shame that’s often put on victims of sexual harassment, has definitely emboldened other women to share their stories as well. Related Article: The #MeToo March in Hollywood Condemns Sexual harassment and Abuse The Silence Breakers are journalists, dishwashers, actors, artists, entrepreneurs, senators, university professors, strawberry pickers, lobbyists, office assistants, art curators, and housekeepers. Each and every one of them has decided enough is enough. They have endured the fear and criticism and have exposed an ugly culture that views harassment as acceptable and as something victims have to be ashamed of. The Silence Breakers represent a new change in the way people view sexual harassment. Now, the dialogue has shifted and people are beginning to ask, “How can sexual harassment be such a common reality? The #MeToo hashtag was shared by millions of people and revealed how prevalent sexual harassment is around the globe.
The Silence Breakers have ultimately challenged the notion that sexual harassment is something that can be swept under the rug in our society. They have enabled a discussion that will go past being on the cover of a magazine. They presented the world with a powerful moment of vulnerability and bravery. The deep roots of societal issues are bringing about a new generation of voices that lead to actions. The actions of these courageous few have changed the way we deal with sexual harassment. It’s probably too soon to tell but they have definitely shined a light on an issue that can no longer be ignored.
A real issue that cannot be ignored, but the fact of uncovering after uncovering after uncovering let’s us know how much further we as a society have to go to really break the silence.
Sources: Time]]>
