Time magazine honours MeToo campaign
The US Time magazine has named the social media campaign MeToo its "Person of the Year" 2017. With the hashtag MeToo women have drawn attention to how widespread sexual harassment and violence have become. According to the magazine the campaigners have triggered a major cultural shift. Commentators disagree as to whether the movement will change things in the long-term.
From MeToo to NeverAgain
The hashtag campaign "MeToo" marks a turning point, the Catholic daily Avvenire writes commenting on Time magazine's decision:
“The women who broke the silence deserve respect for exposing the sexual harassment and humiliation women in the working world and in daily life have to endure from men in positions of power. This, specifically, is what is called social change. A global sense of self-confidence among women that is multiplied through the impact of the web. ... The (moral and criminal) impunity of violent sexual behaviour has come to an end. At the very least such behaviour will hardly be tolerated in the future. The MeToo can finally become a strong, global NeverAgain.”
An undeserved title
Time Magazine already named a group of women person of the year back in 1975, but for the right reasons that time, Webcafé writes:
“Back then a powerful women's movement was emerging that through hard work and great effort pushed through groundbreaking legal amendments among other things banning men from sexually abusing their wives. ... What differentiates the women of 1975 from the MeToo women is that they not only talked, but also took action. They were pioneers in what were back then impenetrable areas like politics, religion, science, journalism and sports. For that reason the 2017 person of the year seems more like a victim of unlearned lessons.”