Who is Tarana Burke? the women who started the #MeToo movement a decade ago

New Delhi, Oct 9: In the wake of dozens of allegations of sexual assault by comedian Utsav Chakraborty, veteran actor Nana Patekar, author Chetan Bhagat, etc. #metoo campaign has finally came to India. Although it had gained popularity over the last two months, the initiative actually began 10 years ago. Yes, you read it right. Now lets read about it.

What is #metoo campaign?

#MeToo is an online campaign that supports the survivors of sexual abuse, assault and harassment. It has recently taken the Indian entertainment industry by storm. Although it has gained popularity over the last two months, the initiative actually began 12 years ago. The campaign created a flood of response across social media, a powerful rallying cry for survivors of harassment and sexual assault.

Who started this campaign?

Tarana Burke, an activist from Harlem, launched the movement a decade ago to aid underprivileged women of color affected by sexual abuse.

What inspired her to start this campaign?

Tarana Burke was inspired after bonding with a young girl during a youth camp hosted by Just Be Inc., a nonprofit she founded that's "focused on the health, well-being, and wholeness of young women of color," the site reads. She said the girl revealed her mother's boyfriend had been abusing her. That's when Burke decided to take action by helping the communities where rape crisis centers and sexual assault workers were not present, and "Me Too" was born.

#MeToo movement a worldwide phenomenon now

The #MeToo wave resurfaced in October when actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter to invite those who have experienced sexual harrassment to respond with "Me too." Her tweet followed the New York Times' Oct. 5 investigation into decades of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and within hours #MeToo went viral on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and beyond as people took to the platforms to share their personal accounts of sexual assault.