#TimesUP It’s Girl Power Time
In January of 2018 while receiving the Golden Globes' annual Cecil B. DeMille for lifetime achievement, Oprah made the following statement:
“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is up. So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men are fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say 'Me too' again.”
There is a new era dawning… the time for discrimination is over.
Time’s Up is a movement that began in the Fall of 2017 against sexual harassment founded by Hollywood celebrities in response to the #MeToo. The #MeToo started trending on Twitter back in October 2017, when it was used by thousands of women sharing a personal story of sexual harassment or assault. The response was massive; many prominent names like Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon and Salma Hayek came forth to share their personal accounts. That was the catalyst of the movement that would bring together female activists from all of the world in the quest for change. Change towards having a world which is safe and promising for women, not just in the USA but all over the world.
With the hope of a more positive world I believe it is the time for women to encourage each other to be their very best. There is power in sharing our life story with others and in being true to ourselves. It will inspire other women to do the same, making way for a new generation of leaders. Also, there is power in applauding the successes of other women. We feel a boost of confidence when other people support our dreams. As women we are part of the same team and when one of us succeeds it open the doors for more women to do the same. Like the Spanish proverb says "el sol brilla para todos", there is room for everybody to thrive and we need more women taking leadership positions on all fields. Chloe from the duet Chloe x Halley puts it this way:
“Technically we’re all family, not blood related but we’re all connected in some way, in some form so we just believe we have to be kind to everybody. Women we are so strong together, and there’s not that many women taking leadership roles, we know we can do it. I think its just encouraging one another so that we strive to greater heights”
There is a new era dawning… the time for discrimination is over.
What does this movement mean for our future?
This means several things; First of all the time is up for sexual harassment in the work place. We need a workplace environment that is safe and prosperous for women. However, In order for us to move forward towards having equality in the workplace we need to change not only the law but the culture that supports sexual harassment and discriminatory views of women. It is not just individuals who are at fault, but the system that has allowed for discriminatory views to thrive. That is why The Time’s Up movement is not just about sexual harassment but also about equal rights. How many times did you hear growing up that you couldn't follow a certain career or like certain subjects in school just because you were a girl? How many times did those words come from family members, friends or school teachers? Did they mean to bring you down with their words? I don't believe so, I believe it is the system who taught them that.
What can we do to join the Time’s Up movement? What can we do to change the system?
I think a huge part of it is changing the way women interact with one another. It’s time to stop judging each other, specially each other’s appearances and beliefs. Choosing to abstain from certain behaviors because of culture, religion or a belief system is a personal choice. It does not mean that if other women choose to act differently then they are any less deserving of the same love, dignity and respect as everybody else. For example; if I decide to cover certain parts of my body because I believe it evokes modesty, it does not mean that if other women choose to show more or less of their body that they should be body shamed or sexually harassed. Or if a woman decides to abstain from having sex until marriage she deserves to be respected for her decision. Instead if being teased and called names such as prude or old fashioned.
It’s time to change the way that women and beauty are represented in the media. We should keep in mind that at the moment there isn't much diversity in the representation of women. In terms of interests, personalities, body types and skin color. Women are more than capable to play leads in movies where they are not overly sexualized. Women who have all kinds of body types should appear on fashion shows, covers of magazines, commercials etc. Women of color should be appearing in more movies, tv shows, news articles and be awarded in awards shows. We need a true representation of the beauty from women all around the world. It is time for women who don't conform to the stereotypical image of beauty to feel beautiful, confident and accepted.
Because The Time’ s Up movement is essentially an equal rights movement we need everybody on board who’s fighting for a more diverse and equal world. We need each other, we need women of different backgrounds, religion, skin color, sexual orientation, citizen status involved and we need men on board as well. We need women and men who are leaders to stand up and raise their voices. That means setting aside our differences to work for a common goal; justice.
In his post titled “Women’s Marches 2018: Whose Really Woke?” Dr. Rupert Nacoste explains it this way; “If we keep rejecting the idea of working with people who are learning to try to work for Justice, our fight for Justice will flounder.
If we reject the idea of working with people because they are not woke in the way you would like, there is no hope of achieving real social Justice.
If for you to march for Justice, everybody has to see everything from your perspective, you are not woke.
To work for Justice always means working with people you do not always agree with on focus, strategy, priorities or vision”
We need to support the strong among us and forgive the weak. It’s not about competition to see who gets more power, no, its about ensuring that everybody gets treated with the same respect and dignity that every human being deserves. For nobody is free until everybody is free and when one wins we all win.
There is a new era dawning… the time for discrimination is over.
Together we shall overcome.
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Sources:
Oprah Winfrey, Golden Globe speech
FoundationTime’s Up, “Women’s Marches 2018: Whose Really Woke?” PostDr. Rupert Nacoste, InterviewChole x Halle,
