Free Essay Describing Political Impact of the MeToo Movement

A sexual offense is a serious crime that often goes unnoticed or unpunished in most societies. Whenever the victims of such crimes are brought to book, the consequences are always detrimental. Recent events have proven that solution to fighting crimes such as sexual harassment might not always receive the attention of the judiciary. The impacts of social media and social movements can also be used to advocate for justice in an open society. An example of this situation can be drawn from the use and impacts of Metoo. This movement targets to advocate for different forms of social justice in America. This paper will focus on the birth and political impact of the MeToo movement.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

According to The Economist, MeToo movement came to birth and went viral to advocate for justice after it was alleged that a woman had been a victim of sexual assault. It is believed that a film producer known as Harvey Weinstein sexually abused Rose McGowan who was an actress at that time. It is evident that Mr. Harvey was subjected to full gravity of the movement which eminently contributed to his downfall as a mogul in the entertainment industry (Hankin). The drive went further to target influential people in the society such as businessmen, politicians, coaches, and lawyers. Through this platform, women are encouraged to share their experiences and shame sexual offenders.

It is clear that the presence of MeToo movement has an enormous impact on the politician and the entire political environment. A white house aide, Rob Porter, lost his job because of allegations of sexually assaulting a woman (Hankin). A senator from Oregon, Mr. Bob Packwood was forced to resign after a victim posted similar allegations using the MeToo handle. The senator's case prompted the Senate Ethics committee to investigate in the issue. It was revealed that the offender had always subjected his female employees to sexual harassment since the 1960's. The article published by The Economist reveals that nine Congress members have either given up their sits or stopped to run for a political position after they were accused via the MeToo movement. Three congressional candidates decided to halt their campaigns. Also, two White House officials lost their jobs after it was alleged that they had assaulted their wives. This shows that the presence of MeToo movement has had a serious impact on the political lives of many people. Powerful politicians have been forced to relinquish their positions while White House appointees have resigned.

According to Kemp and Trunk, the presence of MeToo movement has proven to have the potential to rejuvenate democracy in the US. This can have a lasting impact in the political environment which is mostly dominated by men. MeToo has brought in a unique approach of citizen participation using social media technology. Recent trends also have shown that political movements in the U.S are willing to bow down to pressure from social media protests such as MeToo. It implies that information posted on social media can have a significant political impact which can create or destroy a politician. The argument presented by Kemp and Trunk indicates that MeToo has become powerful which calls for a transition to the next stage. This change must involve the transformation of ideas to policies or legal frameworks to better the participation of citizens.

MeToo has helped to increase representation of women in a male-dominated society (Ettachfini). Despite the presence of democracy, there has always been an imbalance in power. This is more powerful than mere advocacy for gender representation in office or political arena. In a case where a senator was found guilty of sexually harassing female employee since 1960' shows that the female voice had been insignificant. This gave power to male politicians to dominate the society and subject women to unfair treatment. The same applies to women who have been victims of domestic violence such as in the case of two White House officials who lost their jobs. MeToo has managed to make sexual assault a countrywide conversation which has resulted in politicians making responsible decisions for their actions.

According to Lah and Moya women in the U.S have taken advantage of the MeToo movement to fuel their political ambition. It is evident that protests against sexual harassment can trigger mixed reactions from the society which can easily be transformed into politics. Sol Flores is one of the women who has made the campaign one of his political agenda. Flores has progressed to become a congress democratic candidate. In her campaign, she uses her example as a way of convincing female voters that she has the potential to fight for them. This implies that MeToo has become a strategic political tool for women in the US.

Existing evidence suggests that the presence of MeToo movement has had a significant political impact in the U.S. The movement was formed and used by women who have been victims of sexual harassment. As a result, powerful politicians and other state officials have been forced to lose their jobs after being accused via the platform. On the other hand, some women have taken advantage of the movement to fuel political ambitions. This shows that MeToo is a political tool that can increase female representation in the U.S.

Works Cited

Ettachfini, Leila. "These 9 politicians have resigned for sexual misconduct in the wake of #MeToo." 9 May 2018. Broadly. https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/kzkeyv/these-9-politicians-have-resigned-for-sexual-misconduct-in-the-wake-of-metoo. 8 Oct 2018.

Hankin, Stefan. "The political impact of #MeToo." 29 Mar 2018. Medium Corporation. https://medium.com/@stefan_30846/the-political-impact-of-metoo-e5c9ff20a779. 8 Oct 2018.

Kemp, Brechtje and Adina Trunk. "From hashtag to change: why #MeToo matters for democratic politics." 5 Mar 2018. International IDEA. https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/hashtag-change-why-metoo-matters-democratic-politics. 8 Oct 2018.

Lah, Kyung, and Alberto Moya. "Women seize on their past abuse to fuel political ambition." 30 Mar 2018. CNN Politics. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/29/politics/me-too-candidates/index.html. 8 Oct 2018.

The Economist. "The truth and consequences: American politics after a year of #MeToo." 27 Sep 2018. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/united-states/2018/09/27/american-politics-after-a-year-of-metoo. 8 Oct 2018.