Youth Forum: #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 assaultpermeatesall 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 frompubliceye, 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?

Join the Youth Forum Council as local leaders discuss the #MeToo movement and its implications for sexual assault survivors in our own community.

This conversation will be moderated by City Club Youth Forum Council member Rosalind Madorsky.

Tickets are free for high school students.