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#MeToo and You: The Rise of a Movement

As sexual assault allegations continue to mount, the country is taking notice. As celebrities declare  “Time’s Up” at the Golden Globes and TIME magazine announces  The Silence Breakers as the 2017 Person of the Year, survivors of sexual assault are finding strength in their collective voice.

It can be argued that this outpouring of revelations and support for sexual assault victims is long overdue. In 1991,  Anita Hill testified against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who alleged Thomas sexually harassed her during her time in the Education Department. While Thomas was eventually confirmed to the Supreme Court, after Hill’s testimony, sexual harassment complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission doubled. Decades prior to Hill’s testimony, sexual harassment at work for women was simply a part of the job and today,  1 in 3 women between the ages of 18-34 indicate they have been sexually harassed at work.

Sexual harassment and assault permeates all demographics, but the opportunities for support vary. Today, celebrities are raising millions of dollars for activist groups while watching their perpetrators fall from grace, lose their jobs and disappear from public eye, yet what happens to those women without such social clout? As the #MeToo movement gains traction, what is being done in Northeast Ohio to support survivors and ensure justice for all women?

Panelists include:

Mae Bennett
Domestic Violence Services Coordinator, Jewish Family Service Association

Rachel Dissell
Reporter, The Plain Dealer

Alex Leslie
Senior Director of Educational Services, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center

Captain James P. McPike
Commander, Bureau of Special Investigations, City of Cleveland

Jean-Marie Papoi is a digital producer for the arts & culture team at Ideastream Public Media.