Time has named the people behind the #MeToo movement as its 2017 Person of the Year. The magazine labels them as “The Silence Breakers”.
#MeToo started trending on various social media platforms as the Harvey Weinstein debacle began to unravel in October 2017. It aimed to raise awareness about sexual harassment and abuse with many women and men sharing their stories.
In an article with prominent American figures like actor Ashley Judd, who first spoke about Weinstein’s behaviour in an interview with The New York Times, Time magazine writes: “This reckoning appears to have sprung up overnight. But it has actually been simmering for years, decades, centuries.
“When a movie star says #MeToo, it becomes easier to believe the cook who’s been quietly enduring for years.”
American president Donald Trump is ranked at #2 on the Time magazine’s Person of the Year list with Chinese president Xi Jinping coming in at #3.