#MeToo is a hashtag that, after achieving internet virality in 2017, has grown into a broader fourth-wave feminist social movement. Its primary focus is addressing civil society and fostering victims mutual aid, not changing the law. It was founded in 2005 with the aim of mutual support amongst victims of sexual violence who did not report offences to law enforcement authorities or were unsuccessful in their attempts of doing so. Oftentimes victims speak publicly about their abuse for the first time in the context of #MeToo, leading to the potentially damaging practice of informal blaming and naming of alleged perpetrators in the media. To understand the non-reporting of sexual violence, it is necessary to understand sexual habitus and systemic structures that discourage victims from reporting the crimes officially. #MeToo draws attention to the social gender inequalities that lead to legal systemic injustices and thus to the non-reporting of sexual violence. The mobilisation of the movement and its organisation around high-profile court cases, in which lay people recognize clear systemic injustices, also transformed their demands and led to changes of the existing criminal codes. Such rapid amendments of law, backed by political pressure and civil society demands, can lead to harsher and worse legislation. The consequences of the rushed redefinitions of sexual offences under the pressure of #MeToo are already visible in some countries, where changes lead to effects that run counter to the aspirations of the movement. Despite its problematic aspects, #MeToo raises public awareness about sexual violence and encourages victims to report sexual offences officially, which has increased noticeably in the wake of its campaigns. Movement unites diverse feminist views. Although the radical feminism is not as amplified in the media, it offers the most thorough critique of law.
|
