Trisha Tsundupalli ‘21, Pia Singh ‘19:
Amidst the current surfacing of sexual assault allegations against men of prominent societal status, there is a hopeful change in the future climate in and beyond the workplace. Unfortunately, the recurring surfacing of new accusations of sexual assault has plagued recent news, unmasking familiar faces such as Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and Roy Moore among others. Facing allegations from multiple women, many of these men are brought into the limelight for their crimes and are facing professional and personal repercussions. With the accusations primarily beginning with Weinstein, a domino effect of allegations has rippled throughout the country marking a new era in the realm of sexual misconduct.
The outcomes are a delicate balance between the positive empowerment of women in the workplace, and the simultaneous decrease of the traditional power of men in society’s hierarchy today. The result of this awakening, as more victims of these crimes come forward, creates a more encouraging environment for those victims, who have previously felt the pressure to stay silent, to come forward and speak their truth.
Gender power dynamics have shifted and, as Hope Biddle ‘19 expresses with the increasing blatant accusations, “what happens is an amounting lack of trust due to the ensuing disappointment and realization of the nature of people they’ve been believing for a considerable amount of time. This whole series of repeated scandals has really opened our eyes as on a national scale.”
All over the world, female activists have continued to strive for equality from issues including improved voting rights to fair treatment in the workplace and the pursuit of reproductive and sexual freedom.
Lee Burnett, Middle School Classics teacher, says, “I would not presume to say how women should feel, I hope that the more light that gets shined on this and the more serious the repercussions, the workplace will become a safer place, for everybody. And certainly I hope if someone misuses their power, the victim will feel increasingly empowered.”
The recent #Metoo movement found on social media, derived from another similar movement nearly a decade ago, was advocated by social activist Tarana Burke to foster “empowerment through empathy” for victims of sexual harassment and assault, as reported by Fox News. Weeks since the assault reports surfaced, the trending #Metoo movement has utilized media to create an outlet for sharing individual stories, as this exposé has relieved the weight of the obloquy of the masses.
Previously, the traditional view of sexual assault has been one molded by societal stigmas, cultural preferences, and religious ideals. The series of the repeated surfacing of scandals has allowed for individuals to step back, analyze, and admit the faults ingrained within the hidden facades and corruption of male power.
Bing Quan ‘19 has realized that, “It shows how no matter who you are, you can’t get away with abusing people.”
The relationship between perpetrator and victim may be more outspoken and
judged with less pre-conceived biases in the future; however, in order to repair the current fractured status of many men today, students have voiced changes they deem necessary to ensure a lasting effect on the victim’s empowerment as the legal repercussions for these crimes still aren’t evident.
Jesse Bell-Taylor ‘19 expanded upon this flaw and said that, “Our criminal justice system is supposed to be based on reform and we aren’t reforming people or in some cases, the mental health issues that underlie sexual predation. The shift of power of American women is epitomized in the celebrity allegations, but the allegations aren’t leading to solid results. Good for women that they’re being heard, but we need to reform the criminal justice system in order for the female voice to truly matter.”
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) published that since 1998, an estimated 17,700,000 women have been rape victims and 99% of those sexual perpetrators will “walk free.” In light of these scandals, many hope that the statistics of sexual assault will be less prone to defeat.
The emancipation of women is an issue that has started conversations. However, the continuation of that conversation and the pursuit of legal action against their abusers is a necessary and useful vehicle to create a more permanent change in a nation built on the claimed premise of equality.