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5 Years Later, #MeToo is More Than a Viral Hashtag; It’s a Movement for Justice and Healing for Sexual Violence Survivors

October 12, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2022

Media Contact: press@metoomvmt.org

5 Years Later, #MeToo is More Than a Viral Hashtag; It’s a Movement for Justice and Healing for Sexual Violence Survivors 

me too. International launches #BeyondtheHashtag- year-long actions commemorating the courageous survivors, allies, and organizers of the ‘me too.’ Movement and exploring new ways to promote healing. 

Every 68 seconds someone in the United States experiences sexual violence. Five years ago on October 15, 2017, 12 million voices said #MeToo, joining a global choir of survivors declaring that sexual violence is a public health crisis. Five years after the hashtag went viral, this crisis continues.

Beginning on October 15, 2022, me too. International will mark the #MeToo anniversary by launching the year-round #BeyondtheHashtag campaign which aims to amplify the urgency around key cultural and political actions to better support sexual violence survivors, allies, and stakeholders. Also, this national dialogue and activities will illustrate how me too. International and supporters will continue to disrupt individual, institutional and systemic challenges to prevent sexual violence and ensure that survivors can heal, seek justice, and thrive.

“Year five is a critical time for any movement, and for ‘me too.’, the work continues for survivors, allies and stakeholders to assess the landscape, take stock, and boldly envision the continued path forward,” said Dani Ayers, CEO of me too. International. “Through our #BeyondtheHashtag campaign, we are reclaiming the narrative and using the fifth anniversary to share our framework that will uplift and share survivor justice stories and bring new people into the movement.” 

The past five years have demonstrated substantial steps towards progress with political shifts like the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault Act and President Biden’s declaration of sexual violence as a public health crisis.  Over the past five years, more than 20 states have created laws to provide survivors with new inroads to seek accountability. 

“While recent research showed that the public views #MeToo as a positive tool for sexual violence survivors and that there are allies who support it, there is still critical work to be done in shifting our communities, governments, and institutions towards survivor justice and healing is still needed,” said Tarana Burke, me too. International Founder and Chief Vision Officer. “Moving forward, it is important for us as a global community to examine this movement not as an individualized problem, but instead as a systemic issue that is enabled by a culture steeped in misogyny, racism, capitalism, and an imbalance of power dynamics that will require an investment in scalable community-led solutions, cultural interventions, and narrative shifts to create a  world free from sexual violence.” 

Burke knows that the world is forever changed by the viral hashtag. In her recent Time Article, “What ‘Me Too’ Made Possible,” she reflects on the last five years and the unimaginable possibilities that have stemmed from the power of uttering two words. 

Now, me too. International is marking this momentous occasion with key activations across the U.S. to celebrate the collective wins of the movement to end sexual violence and look ahead toward bold visions of sustained momentum and cross-sectoral movement building. From October 2022 through October 2023, me too. International, in partnership with organizations and movements across the country, will be building more survivor power and  bringing more energy and urgency to the issue of sexual violence through:

  • in-person community gatherings in multiple cities
  • a limited series podcast, featuring some of the most influential voices in the movement
  • an impact study answering the question, “What has ‘me too.’ made possible?” 
  • and direct action drawing attention to the demands of survivors 

This is the first of many milestones where survivors will celebrate the impact their voices have had on the world and communicate to the public our collective responsibility to go further, pushing beyond the hashtag to disrupt and ultimately end sexual violence.

To learn more about me too. International and the upcoming #BeyondtheHashtag anniversary activations, visit metoomvmt.org/beyond.