TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year” is not one person, but many.
In a wide-ranging article released Wednesday and authored exclusively by three women, the magazine announced that its 2017 “Person of the Year” is the “Silence Breakers.”
Take Action: When it Comes to Gender Equality, #WeSeeEqual
From former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and actress Alyssa Milano to an anonymous hospital worker, the multimedia project highlighted the stories of women who have experienced sexual assault and harassment in the workplace — and have spoken out against their aggressors.
The Silence Breakers are TIME's Person of the Year 2017 #TIMEPOYhttps://t.co/mLgNTveY9zpic.twitter.com/GBo9z57RVG
— TIME (@TIME) December 6, 2017
This was conceived, reported and written by women. It was fact-checked by women. The video was shot and edited by women. The layout and photo spread were designed by women. It's one of the reasons I'm proud to work at @timehttps://t.co/ekMMIBV0Vc
— Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) December 6, 2017
The announcement comes in the wake of a wave of high-profile sexual assault revelations that have inculpated NBC News anchor Matt Lauer, producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K., and actor Kevin Spacey, among many others.
“These silence breakers have started a revolution of refusal, gathering strength by the day, and in the past two months alone, their collective anger has spurred immediate and shocking results: nearly every day, CEOs have been fired, moguls toppled, icons disgraced,” the authors write.
Although the #MeToo movement was created in 1997 by Tarana Burke, it was amplified in October of this year after actress Alyssa Milano asked her Twitter followers to share instances of sexual assault online. The #MeToo movement has since gone global, with TIME reporting that versions of the #MeToo hashtag have been seen in 85 countries.
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According to the World Health Organization, roughly one in three women worldwide have experienced some sort of physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.
Global Citizen campaigns on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, including goal number five, gender equality, which calls for the elimination of “all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.” You can take action on this issue here.
Past TIME Magazine “People of the Year” include US President Donald Trump, who was last year’s “Person of the Year;” German Chancellor Angela Merkel; and former US President Barack Obama.
Trump was also named the “runner up” this year by the magazine, despite being mentioned in the main “Person of the Year” article multiple times as an alleged perpetrator of assault and harassment.
This is not the first time a non-person or group of people has been awarded the honor; other “People of the Year” have been “ebola fighters,” “the protester,” and “you.”
Across the internet, responses to TIME’s decision were well-received. And on Wednesday morning, #MeToo again trended on Twitter.
Brava, @TIME for their “people” of the year choice. “The Silence Breakers” not only are changing the perception of women, but changing the world. #TimePersonOfTheYear
— Kerry Lee O'Grady (@OGradyKL) December 6, 2017
#TimePersonOfTheYear selection is perfect!#TheSilenceBreakers helped open the floodgates for women that have endured sexual harassment and assault in silence for years.#Trump, who claims to be "the number one supporter of women", should be tweeting out congrats soon 🙄 pic.twitter.com/ZLhOdDMez2
— Mara Jade🕯️🇵🇷 (@MaraJade_2017) December 6, 2017
Congratulations to all the ladies who stood up and spoke out against sexual harassment for being named #TimePersonOfTheYear! Your courage deserves to be honored. pic.twitter.com/1OP42q8Vlj
— SAM6 (@travelong6) December 6, 2017
On Wednesday, Burke and Milano also joined forces for the first time on the “Today Show” to call on women to stand in solidarity against sexual assault and harassment.
Read More: The Internet Has Spoken. These 15 Women Might Be ‘Badder’ Than Taylor Swift.
“This is just the start. I’ve been saying from the beginning it’s not just a moment, it’s a movement,” Burke said.
“It’s vital to me that we really set in some actionable things that we can do to continue this momentum,” Milano added.