On October 15, 2017, the #MeToo hashtag went viral and blasted into American culture. The movement is focused on women, but the hard truth is that girls are just as affected by sexual harassment. So, on the one-year anniversary of #MeToo, Girls Inc. launched the hashtag #GirlsToo: Respect Starts Young.
This national social media campaign helps girls add their voices to the movement. After all, harassment doesn’t begin in the adult workplace. It starts earlier: for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment and assault, a girl has too. One in four girls will suffer sexual abuse or assault before she turns 17.
#GirlsToo builds off our already committed efforts to empower girls. In our Project Bold program, for instance, girls learn about healthy relationships, plus what consent looks like. And in our Girls Inc. Teen Advocacy Council, girls learn how to advocate on issues that affect their lives.
#MeToo forced our country to face issues that Girls Inc. has been tackling all along: gender inequality, discrimination and misogyny. #GirlsToo is one vital way to continue that essential work—and here in the Valley, we’re proud to lead this national effort.