One Year After Metoo: Activists cautious about plans for long-term progress

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03:01

A year ago today, a tweet by actress Alyssa Milano started what's been called a revolution for women. The phrase metoo had first been used in 2006 to raise awareness of sexual assaults. And this time, it triggered an ongoing worldwide reckoning that has brought down powerful public figures. But as CGTN's Owen Fairclough reports, some in the US aren't sure what kind of lasting change it will bring.

"I have two children, I cannot imagine that for the next fifty years they will have to have someone in the Supreme Court who has been accused of violating a young girl. What are you doing, sir."

U.S. Republican Senator Jeff Flake confronted over his decision to support the confirmation of new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh despite allegations of sexual assault.

OWEN FAIRCLOUGH WASHINGTON "It was one of the most powerful moments for the metoo movement since it began, challenging the legitimacy of a judge to join the highest court in the U.S and shape issues like the women's rights for future generations."

The actress who resurrected the hashtag metoo almost 12 months earlier was among those protesting Kavanaugh's lifetime appointment, even though he'd repeatedly denied sexual-misconduct allegations.

ALYSSA MILANO ACTRESS "I never tried to find justice for my pain because justice was never an option."

Now it might be.

KIERSTEN STEWART DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE "We think the metoo moment is a turning point in the fights against sexual harassment and sexual violence."

Metoo erupted worldwide when Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein was brought down by multiple sexual assault allegations from his past for which he's now facing trial. The effect has been profound for organizations like Futures Without Violence.

KIERSTEN STEWART DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE "We're seeing dramatically increased requests for things like technical assistance. So my organization trains employers and works with unions on how to get rid of sexual harassment."

But data from the Pew Research Center shows sexual harassment in the workplace is as polarizing as any other political issue in U.S., whose President has often been the target of metoo's anger.

NIKKI GRAF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, PEW RESEARCH CENTER "We find that Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to see men getting away with it and women not being believed as major problems."

And if this has been a turning point for women across the world, some advocates are cautious about what it can achieve.

KIERSTEN STEWART DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY FUTURES WITHOUT VIOLENCE "Our U.S. Congress, for instance, hasn't reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. It used to be easy and agreed upon and now we're having to fight to get that passed."

Even if the 1994 act has been given a short-term reauthorization until early December, lawmakers may be forced into more long-term action if voters continue to channel this movement at the ballot box in next month's Congressional elections. Owen Fairclough, CGTN, Washington.