The #MeToo social media campaign this week is bringing out Iowa women — and men — who have been victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault to talk about their experiences.
Elizabeth Power, marketing director for the Women’s Center for Advancement in Omaha/Council Bluffs, says the numbers only start to tell the story.
“One in five women will be raped as adults, one in 71 men will be raped as adults, however, you always have to remember that rape is the most under-reported crime.”
While a majority of the targets in these cases are women, Power says men are a growing minority.
“We serve men at the WCA,” Power says. “It’s not a tremendous percentage but I think we were at 3% in 2013 and we’re up to 5, 6 or 7% now.”
Studies find an increasing number of sexual assaults are happening in our places of business, according to Power.
“Eight-percent of rapes happen to the victim while they’re at work,” Power says. “That’s a large amount, especially at work, a place where you’d never expect that to happen.”
She notes sexual harassment and assault are not crimes of lust or sexual desire but rather of power and control.
The #MeToo campaign caught fire in the wake of film producer Harvey Weinstein being accused of sexual harassment and assault.
Thanks to Karla James, Omaha
