Female Solidarity: What 2017 Has Meant for Women
2017 was off to a rough start, politically at least. A year ago, many had expected to welcome the first female president of the United States, and the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations, yet glass ceilings remained intact. Disappointment and frustration was felt by the masses as they rallied to take matters into their own hands. The tone that would come to define 2017 was set at the Women’s March in January, when half a million people took to the streets in Washington DC to protest human and women’s rights. The march was one of the largest in US history and sister marches were held around the world, with 5 million people coming together in the name of solidarity. The assembling of like-minded people — eager to make their voices heard — combated the disillusionment that was felt following the failure to achieve the aforementioned firsts.
While democracy spoke against the first female president in the US, the episode gave rise to a necessary conversation that has continued throughout 2017. Discussion concerning women in politics and senior positions are heard more frequently, and there has been a surge in American women running for office in the last year. Emily’s List, the largest US organization for women in politics, has been contacted by over 20,000 women expressing interest about running for office since Trump was elected. Hilary Clinton’s candidacy sparked democratic imagination and advanced the image of a woman in power.
2017 was also the year that saw Saudi Arabian women being granted the right to drive, a symbolic feat for women in the conservative nation. Activists have been striving to overturn the ban on female driving for years; the most recent campaign has been ongoing for 10 years and peaked in 2013 when women who challenged the ban were briefly arrested. In 2013, Maha al-Aqeel spoke about what being granted permission would signify. She expressed how “driving is such a visible and symbolic thing,” in comparison to progress made in the workplace or on the Shura Council. Similar to the noteworthiness of a female national leader, the visual portrayal of equality through driving is significant for a change in perspectives on gender roles.
Moreover, 2017 has seen conversations about stigmatized topics of everyday sexism and inequality brought out into the open. This new momentum of feminism that we’re seeing today is part of the fourth-wave of feminism that began around five years ago, characterized by the heavy use of social media and the focus on issues such as workplace harassment, rape culture and campus sexual assault.
It will have been nearly impossible to miss the sensation of the #MeToo movement that has soared worldwide since October. When Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment, few could have predicted the impact this incident would have not only on the film industry, but also on attitudes toward sexual harassment and the stigma against speaking up about these issues. After #MeToo was popularized by Alyssa Milano following the accusations against Weinstein, versions of the hashtag appeared in 85 countries and turned it into an international crusade against sexual harassment and assault. As Milano pointed out in her since viral tweet, she aimed to underscore the magnitude of the problem by encouraging women to speak up, and this is exactly what happened.
Since mid-October, #MeToo has swept through not only the film industry, but also those of media, politics, academia and sport, with unstoppable force. CEOs have been fired, politicians asked to step down, and celebrities discredited. When actresses and well-respected women across all fields speak up, and dominant men are toppled in businesses fueled by power and money, it brings hope to the rest of us. And as attitudes about sex and power change, more women are finding the courage to speak up under the umbrella of solidarity that #MeToo has provided.
According to a poll conducted by Time and SurveyMonkey, 8 in 10 people are now of the opinion that women are more likely to speak out about sexual harassment and assault since the #MeToo movement began, and 85% report that they believe women’s allegations. In December, the #MeToo movement — dubbed “The Silence Breakers” — was named Person of the Year by Time.
From the Women’s March in January to the #MeToo movement that finished off the year, the controversy of everyday sexism has been given a central position in our political, intellectual and everyday conversations in 2017. Sexism is not a new phenomenon; Trump and Weinstein were mere catalysts that gave way to frustration that has been simmering for years. And while such men will continue to exist, we have been seeing significant shifts in Western cultural perspectives this year. In recent months, there has been an increased readiness to hold reputable, high-powered men accountable for their actions. This cultural shift is also represented in media, where male-centric blockbusters were overshadowed by Wonder Woman and heroines dressed in red cloaks in 2017.
That being said, far from all politicians have had to answer for their behavior, and a great divide still remains in society with regard to these issues. This is particularly true in the US, where 55% of Republicans consider the #MeToo movement to be a distraction. With these divides in society, the question remains what further definitive actions we will see apart from perpetrators of bad sexual behavior being held accountable. Will we be seeing more women in politics? A greater number of female CEOs? What about equal pay for women? The fight against sexism is far from over, but if women continue to combat the challenges they are faced with, as demonstrated by persistent acts of solidarity throughout 2017, and if the world continues to respond with action as with the #MeToo movement, then this new wave of feminism can lead to long-term change.
Edited by Cheyenne Abrams.
