The #MeToo and #TimesUp Movements: where do we go from here?

 History has shown us that feminist movements often come in waves – they come and go; each time moving society forward a bit before dying back. On March 16, 2018, in a CSW62 Side Event, #Me Too – Now What? Women in the media: from outcry to action, panel members attempted to tackle the questions, “how do we size this moment” and “how do we make sure it doesn’t fall back?”

Early waves of feminism fought for legal rights. But now, feminism cannot just be about passing laws and resolutions. As Polly Toynbee, political commentator for The Guardian, expressed, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are about changing what goes on in people’s hearts and minds, and what goes on inside every household and every workplace. These movements hope to inspire a revolutionary change in which people uproot all of human history and produce the kind of equality that we know we are advancing towards.

Sienna Miller, British actress and gender activist, set the tone for the panel discussion by sharing her story of gender inequality and abuse in Hollywood. Miller’s speech, which focused on the pressure to accept a value of herself which she knew was wrong, commented on the much broader themes of loneliness and isolation that women feel. Miller’s examples, though perhaps very different from our own, reminds us that gender inequality affects every age, race, and profession. Although sexual harassment can happen to anyone, Miller protests that “being treated unfairly cannot be an intrinsic part of being a woman”.  

By establishing an understanding of what feminist movements have done in the past, and what our hopes are for the future, the assembled panel then tried to answer the question, “what’s next?” Perhaps the most profound statement of the afternoon was made by UN Women’s Representation and South African Politician, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who stated that “we need to sustain this moment and institutionalize it in our work”. This means that member states, governments, and industry leaders need to make sure all policies live up to the standards and expectations of gender equality that are being pushed by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.

It also means that men and women around the world, in partnership with the media, need to sustain this talking point. Stay with this story, Mlambo-Ngcuka urges, “do not move to the next trivial story until gender equality is reached”.

Until we have been able to make sure the pendulum does not swing back the other way, it is our duty as feminists, as activists, to continue to challenge the systemic gender inequality in our society. One thing is for sure – as we continue to challenge a power imbalance that seemed intractable some months ago, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are showing us that the future can, and will be, equal.