News Kashmir Exclusive
Me Too movement is proving to be great boon in making women worldwide to speak against the injustice they have faced at the hands of men. The Me Too movement (or #MeToo movement), with many local and international alternatives, is a movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault #MeToo spread virally in October 2017 as a hashtag used on social media in an attempt to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.[ It followed soon after the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Tarana Burke, an American social activist and community organizer, began using the phrase “Me Too” as early as 2006, and the phrase was later popularized by American actress Alyssa Milano, on Twitter in 2017. Milano encouraged victims of sexual harassment to tweet about it and “give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem”. This was met with success that included but was not limited to high-profile posts from several American celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd,Jennifer Lawrence,and Uma Thurman.
The Bollywood actor who helped trigger the #MeToo movement in India challenging sexual harassment and abuse sees it as part of her religious education after an experience 10 years ago she said effectively ended her career. “I feel God used me to start something which had to happen,” Tanushree Dutta told Reuters. “All these women had this buried deep in their hearts out of shame.”
Dutta, who said she was inspired by Christianity, Buddhism, yoga and the #MeToo movement in the United States, said last month that prominent actor Nana Patekar had sexually harassed her on the set of a movie in 2008. Patekar has denied wrongdoing.
The loud voice of justice raised by women via me too is paying dividends.
MJ Akbar, who faces multiple charges of sexual harassment, on Wednesday resigned as Union minister of state for external affairs.
“Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity, (sic)” he said in a statement.
“I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of minister of state for external affairs. I am deeply grateful to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country,” he added.
Senior journalist and The owner and Editor –in-Chief News Kashmir Farzana Mumtaz too recently gave a passionate outlook on the injustices faced by women in kashmir .Free Press Kashmir described her struggle as – A typical example of what Kashmiri women journalists go through while working on the field would be the life of Farzana Mumtaz. From family struggles to societal stigmas to professional challenges, she has faced it all and yet continues to grow and inspire many young journalists.
