In October 2017, the #MeToo movement, originally started by activist Tarana Burke, became a global phenomenon when actor Alyssa Milano posted a tweet asking survivors of sexual assault to retweet and say “me too,” with the aim of bringing widespread awareness to the cause.
CBS reported that within a week the hashtag was used in 1.7 million tweets.
The ensuing months found international attention shining a light on the severity and scale of sexual assault. Mobilizing #MeToo opens a window into some of those discussions.
This episode features Cari Ionson, Mount Royal University’s Sexual Violence Response and Awareness Coordinator, and includes her thoughts on MRU’s new “Survivors First” policy, why university age women are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault, and more.
Ionson says the “Survivors First” policy in particular is a benefit to MRU students.
“What we’re really doing is putting those who’ve been impacted by sexual violence in the driver’s seat so to speak, so they get to choose whether or not they’re wanting to move forward with a report,” says Ionson.
To hear more, listen to the first episode in this series:
Mobilizing #MeToo: On Campus
Mobilizing #MeToo: On Campus is the first episode in this series. To listen to episode two about the way sexual assault cases are covered in court, click here. To listen to episode three about what Veronica Lawrence, co-founder of the Society for the Advocacy of Safer Spaces (SASS) is doing with the organization to make the music scene safer for survivors of sexual assault click here.
Editor: Alec Warkentin | awarkentin@cjournal.ca