People ask why? #MeToo? There are several reasons why #MeToo is gaining world wide attention. Number one is the much needed attention on the problem of sexual harassment that women face and have faced for years. Two, and most importantly, vicims have a platform to say ‘hey this happened to me, I thought it was my fault, I am not alone’.
Sexual harassment shatters our self esteem and sense of trust. It is never okay!Many victims want to share their horror stories and the trauma, in some cases a life long trauma. Questions with no answers because there was no one to ask for help in a culture that protects their own. The workplace that allowed and even condoned the behavior so it escalated.
I speak from experience on what can happen with this power imbalance and the betrayal. As a police officer it was part of the workplace culture to obey our senior officers, not to question or doubt that authority, the importance of going along to get along. I can remember when I was a young female police officer and the challenges faced with sexual harassment. What should I say about the name calling, how do I respond to the derogatory comments about my body, how do I react to the disgusting jokes about women and how do I tell them not to touch me? These were questions with no answers because there was no one to ask for help in a culture that protects their own. The workplace allowed and even condoned the behavior so it escalated. And no one said anything. No one offered to help. No one was willing to speak up. My message to victims is to speak up and take back your power. My message to those who knew of the abuse and remained silent, please speak up. The victims need to know that they did nothing wrong. We make decisions based on what we can do at the time, to survive.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
If no one says anything then nothing changes. We have the power of our voices in conversation and create positive change.