The #MeToo movement, founded by the Silence Breakers, has migrated to DePauw’s campus.
As women of all ages express their heartbreaking experiences with harassment and assault, the nation has begun to recognize the disrespect that women endure everyday in public, the workplace and even in their own homes.
It is disheartening to see just how many women have been violated, primarily by men, and how our culture refuses to recognize their trauma.
On campus here at DePauw, there seems to be a dialogue circulating about the #MeToo movement. “What is the #MeToo movement?” “Do you think it is making any real change?” “Only people who already care about women’s rights pay attention to feminist movements.” These represent only a few comments I have heard from my own classmates and friends.
The buzz around the movement primarily stems from a lack of information and curiosity about the movement. Because the movement has been causing such a stir across the country and on campus, I am inclined to say that the movement itself is effectively inspiring change. The more publicity the movement gains, the more aware both men, women and students are about the crisis that is sexual disrespect.
This entire movement does not mention even half of the sexual misconduct that billions of women endure across the globe, yet the reaction has carried itself all the way to DePauw’s campus, generating publicity for the cause.
The most common speculation about the #MeToo movement is “how would the movement be different if DePauw didn’t have such a heavy Greek culture?” In my eyes, the effects of the movement would not be as profound if so many women had not been violated as a result of fraternity culture and toxic masculinity that plague the campus.
Unfortunately, the result of such common disrespect has allowed the #MeToo movement to sweep across DePauw’s campus with fervour. The more people I have spoken to, the more support I realize the movement has gained from women on campus.
The success of the movement, in my opinion, relies on the power placed in the hands of the women. This movement achieves a level of empowerment for women that sexually harassed women have not experienced in past movements. By taking the power away from the oppressor, the #MeToo movement has revolutionized a woman’s right to share their story and regain control of their own bodies.