Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 7 March 2018

#MeToo's global impact: Big in some places, scanty in others

By DAVID CRARY said by email. "Organiza-
AP National Writer tions are worried about
Thanks to the vast reach their credibility and counsel
of social media and the their women employees to
prevalence of sexual mis- not report instances and in-
conduct in virtually every stead seek conciliation."
society, the #MeToo move- Perhaps no country has had
ment has proven itself a a more complex reaction
genuinely global phenom- to #MeToo than France —
enon. Yet its impact var- long identified as a haven
ies widely from country to for romance. The govern-
country, from potentially ment is preparing new leg-
momentous to inconse- islation on sexual violence
quential. and harassment, and some
No other nation has expe- lawmakers want to impose
rienced anything close to fines for sexist catcalls. Yet
the developments in the despite sexual misconduct
United States, the move- allegations against sev-
ment's birthplace, where eral prominent men, they
scores of prominent men have maintained their jobs
— among them politicians, and status. French feminist
media stars and movie mo- ranks, meanwhile, have ex-
guls — have lost jobs and In this Oct. 29, 2017 file photo, demonstrators hold placards reading "Sexism, that is not my gen- perienced divisions — nota-
reputations after facing der" and "125 women killed in 2016", right, during a demonstration against sexual abuse and ha- bly when actress Catherine
sexual misconduct allega- rassment across the country under the #MeToo movement, in Marseille, southern France. Deneuve co-signed a letter
tions. Associated Press depicting #MeToo accus-
As the global women's ers as puritanical, only to
movement prepares for In- #MeToo has sometimes fessor of sexual misconduct by a U.S.-based law stu- apologize after facing a
ternational Women's Day been censored on social when she was a gradu- dent, with contributions backlash of criticism.
on Thursday, it's clear the media and branded as a ate student. Other women from students in India. But In Britain, organizers de-
record elsewhere is mixed. destabilizing foreign move- lodged similar allegations, the list contained few de- cided to discontinue an
In Western Europe, some ment. To thwart the cen- and the professor was fired. tails about the allegations annual men-only charity
VIPs have been discredited sors, social media users But questions linger as to or accusers, and was criti- gala after a Financial Times
and some new anti-harass- have made creative use whether a feminist move- cized by some women as investigation found that fe-
ment laws are in the works. of hashtags such as #Rice- ment can gain greater unfair. male hostesses — required
Worldwide, the fallout in- Bunny — a phrase which in clout in the face of govern- India passed a law in 2013 to wear short skirts and high
cludes backlashes against China is pronounced "me ment resistance. to combat workplace sex- heels — were groped by
women who speak out, di- some of the hundreds of
visions within feminist ranks senior executives who at-
and minimal repercussions tended the event in Janu-
for accused harassers. And ary. "It is quite extraordi-
in many countries, the U.S. nary to me that in the 21st
included, the movement century allegations of this
has consisted primarily kind are emerging," Edu-
of well-educated profes- cation Minister Anne Milton
sionals, largely leaving out told the House of Com-
working-class and poor mons. "Women have the
women. Some skeptics right to feel safe wherever
have coined the hashtag they work." Harassment al-
#WeFew. legations last year led to
In some countries where one high-level resignation
the movement hasn't — that of Defense Secre-
caught fire, analysts have tary Michael Fallon — and
suggested that resistance prompted political leaders
to American cultural trends to propose a new griev-
is among the factors. ance procedure for people
"I wish it hadn't started in working in Parliament.
the U.S.," said Anne Marie Even in Nordic countries
Goetz, a professor of global ranked high for gender
affairs at New York Universi- equality, there has been
ty and a former United Na- #MeToo turmoil. In Ice-
tions adviser on women's In this Feb. 3, 2018 file photo, women in animal costumes take part in the block party "Maria vem land and Sweden, women
issues. com as outras," or "Maria, join the other women," in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. in numerous professional
"The fastest way to discredit Associated Press sectors mounted social
any women's rights strug- media campaigns to raise
gle is to say it comes from too." The hashtags — and In India, sexual miscon- ual harassment, but gen- awareness about wide-
somewhere else," Goetz women's accounts of ha- duct allegations against der-equality activist Sudar- spread sexual misconduct;
said. "That's been a long- rassment — proliferated more than 60 academics shana Kundu said many the Swedish government
standing putdown of femi- in January after Luo Xixi, sparked divisions among women remain hesitant to has proposed tightening its
nist movements all around an academic now based feminists. A crowd-sourced speak up. rape law to stipulate that
the world." in the U.S., accused a re- list of alleged harassers "There is culture of silenc- explicit consent is required
In China, discussion of nowned Beijing-based pro- was posted on Facebook ing that is prevalent," she before sexual contact.q