The local sexual assault centre is applauding Time magazine’s choice for the 2017 Person of the Year.
Time has selected “The Silence Breakers” for creating social change around sexual harassment and assault.
Their anti-harassment work has grown, in part, due to the #MeToo social media campaign that gained greater attention with revelations of sexual misconduct and assault involving Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and other high-profile men.
In the past few months, millions of women have used #MeToo to share their stories.
Lenore Lukaskic-Foss, the executive director of the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area (SACHA), tells CHML’s The Bill Kelly Show she was happy to see it, calling it important.
She says the movement is not losing steam “because it’s such a big problem. And it’s not one of these things where it’s news for today and now we’re moving on; that this affects so many people, some of whom you know.”
“This is on women’s shoulders because they were able to say ‘it’s happened to me’. It’s important that we have that space,” Lukaskic-Foss adds.
She points out that this is an issue for men as well, stressing “we know that most men do not engage in this behaviour, but many men do. And those who don’t have to step up and take to task those men who do, to not let that person get away with actions, words or jokes.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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