City women open up via #metoo campaign

The trend started after the many sexual harassment cases by producer Harvey Weinstein came to light. Looking at this, American actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter and shared this idea: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Several women retweeted and replied to the tweet and it soon became a worldwide phenomenon. People have come out and shared their horror stories of sexual harassment for the first time. 

“My math tutor would teach me math with his other hand on my thighs. When I told my mother, she didn’t take it seriously. I started putting my bag on my lap to make him stop,” said 21-year-old Prathiba K. This happened when she was 10. She says, “Nothing has changed. I still place my bag as an armour when I am in public.” Another Facebook user said, “It was my uncle #metoo.”

Even men have been on the receiving end of sexual harassment. Communication professional Ram K posted, “A senior from my school grabbed my crotch and I was so afraid, I ran away.” 

The magnitude of this trend has got the conversation started but there are men who have confessed to their ignorance. S. Adith said, “When my female friends said that they are being stared at and requested me to come with them to the station if it’s late, I’d think that they are overreacting. When I walked along with my sister or a female colleague, I’d also notice men staring at them, I’d say myself things like, “That’s what men do” and never paid much attention. Now, I will be more sensitive.”

Women across the world are harassed every day and now the conversation is to not just make it a social media trend but encourage women to speak about their harassment in open. Social media analysists, however, point out that while awareness is a good thing, the issue has to move from cyber space to real life for the awareness to become some form of a deterrent.