What difference has #MeToo made? - 6 Minute English - YouTube
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from
BBC Learning English. I'm Sam.
And I'm Georgina.
In this programme we'll take a look at the sensitive issue of sexual violence.
At the start of the decade no one knew
start of the decade no one knew
that the two-word phrase 'MeToo' would go viral - or spread quickly and widely on the internet through social media.
would go viral - or spread
quickly and widely on the internet
through social media.
But when explosive allegations against Hollywood movie producer Harry Weinstein made headlines in 2017,
Hollywood movie producer
Harry Weinstein made headlines
the MeToo hashtag became the focus for a global movement of women determined to expose the truth about abusive sexual behaviour.
focus for a global movement
of women determined
to expose the truth about
abusive sexual behaviour.
Weinstein was found guilty and given a 23-year prison sentence.
.
But the deeper reasons behind the problem, in America and worldwide, have not disappeared.
the problem, in America and worldwide,
I have a question now about the origin of the MeToo expression.
a question now about
the origin of the MeToo expression.
Although the MeToo message went viral due to public support from famous Hollywood actresses,
went viral due to public
support from famous Hollywood
the phrase itself was thought up years earlier by civil rights activist, Tarana Burke.
thought up years earlier
by civil rights activist, Tarana Burke.
What year did she first use it? Was it: a) 1996, b) 2006 or c) 2016?
a) 1996, b) 2006 or c) 2016?
I'll guess b) 2006.
OK, Georgina. We'll come back to that later.
Now more about Tarana Burke.
Tarana Burke.
Yes, Tarana worked with marginalised women in neglected American communities,
women in neglected American
shocking numbers of whom were victims of sexual violence and abuse.
numbers of whom were victims
of sexual violence and abuse.
Here she is talking with the BBC World Service's programme HARDtalk
World Service's programme HARDtalk
about how the MeToo movement continues to speak up for voiceless women and girls.
continues to speak up for
voiceless women and girls.
The beauty, I think, and the magic of MeToo is that it's a unifier in that way,
of MeToo is that it's a unifier
and it's where survivors find community and so -
where survivors find community and so -
definitely the mainstream media kept the focus on the actresses and Hollywood and that...
kept the focus on the
actresses and Hollywood and that...
but at its core the women who came forward were really no different than those girls who I served in the communities ten years before.
who came forward were really
no different than those girls who I served
in the communities ten years before.
Tarana doesn't call the girls and women who were abused 'victims'.
who were abused 'victims'.
Instead she prefers the term survivors -
people who are able to carry on with their life successfully,
able to carry on with their life
despite very unpleasant experiences which still affect them.
very unpleasant experiences
which still affect them.
The MeToo movement went viral when several famous movie actresses came forward -
when several famous movie actresses
offered to give information, about sexual harassment.
to give information,
about sexual harassment.
While these Hollywood actresses were famous celebrities, most survivors of sexual violence are ordinary women, living ordinary lives.
famous celebrities, most survivors
of sexual violence
are ordinary women, living ordinary lives.
That's why Tarana calls the MeToo movement a unifier -
the MeToo movement
something that unites and brings people together,
in this case women of different race and social background.
women of different
race and social background.
But while the media focused on particular people - Weinstein and several actresses in the movie industry -
people - Weinstein and
several actresses in
Tarana is clear that the problem is bigger than just individual cases.
the problem is bigger than just individual
cases.
Here she is explaining about the wider reasons behind the MeToo movement:
reasons behind the MeToo movement:
We can talk about Harvey Weinstein ad nauseam
but we also have to talk about what are the structures that were in place that allowed a Harvey Weinstein to thrive.
about what are the
structures that were in place that allowed
a Harvey Weinstein to thrive.
If you're going to talk about Harvey Weinstein's being successful,
to talk about Harvey Weinstein's being
then we have to also talk about capitalism, right?
talk about capitalism,
Because it's the love of money and the desire for people to have money and what he represented.
and the desire for people
to have money and what
The bottom line is people value those things more than they value the humanity of the women that he was destroying their lives.
value those things more than
they value the
humanity of the women that he was
It's about power and it's about privilege.
power and it's about
At the end of the day, these are the two things we have to talk about dismantling.
are the two things we have
to talk about dismantling.
According to Tarana, the behaviour of abusers like Weinstein was not challenged or questioned because of their privilege -
of abusers like Weinstein was not
challenged or questioned
power and advantage held by a small group of people, usually because of their high social position or because they are rich.
and advantage held by a small group
of people, usually because
of their high social position
or because they are rich.
So rather than focusing on individual cases,
it's male-dominated social structures like privilege that need dismantling -
structures like
breaking up or being stopped from working by gradually reducing its power over a period of time.
up or being stopped from
working by gradually
reducing its power over a period of time.
Tarana knows the problem won't disappear overnight.
disappear overnight.
But she believes the MeToo movement has opened up a space to talk about sexual violence in a new way and set out a pathway forward.
has opened up a space to talk
about sexual violence in
a new way and set out a pathway forward.
Let's go back to the quiz question. I asked you what year the two-word expression 'Me Too' was used. Was it a) 1996, b) 2006 or c) 2016, and you said...?
you what year the
two-word expression 'Me
Too' was used. Was it a) 1996,
b) 2006 or c) 2016, and you said...?
Yes. I said it was b) 2006.
Well done, Georgina! You are absolutely
Today, we've been talking about the hashtag MeToo movement
about the hashtag
MeToo movement
which went viral in 2017 - meaning it spread quickly on the internet.
it spread quickly on the internet.
The name 'MeToo' was created by Tarana Burke, an activist who works with sexual abuse survivors
by Tarana Burke, an activist who works
with sexual abuse survivors
- people who experience abuse but are able to carry on with their lives successfully.
able to carry on with
their lives successfully.
In 2017 many of these survivors came forward
- offered to give information - about sexual harassment in Hollywood.
information - about sexual
harassment in Hollywood.
And these actresses were supported by millions of women and men across the world,
by millions of women and men
making the MeToo movement an important cultural unifier
the MeToo movement an important
- something that unites and brings people together.
unites and brings people
together.
Now the movement wants to shift the focus away from individual cases
the focus away from individual cases
and onto social structures of privilege - power and advantage held by a small group of people,
structures of privilege - power and
advantage held by a small group
of people, usually because
of their wealth or high social class.
And according to Tarana, it is these social
structures and attitudes which need to be
dismantled - stopped from
working by gradually reducing
their power over time.
And that's all we have time for today.
Join us again soon here at 6 Minute
English for more topical discussion
and vocabulary.
Bye for now.
Bye.
