Since the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment allegations came to light, I feel the world has shifted its views and made us reconsider what is acceptable and what will no longer be tolerated.

Every morning since early October, a new victim steps out of the shadow and gets a speck of the justice they deserve. Not only women, but men as well have gotten a platform to speak out against the injustice thousands around the world experience every single day. The courageous victims that have spoken out represent a small proportion of sexual assault and sexual harassment that people, especially women, endure from an early age.

What started out as a trending hashtag evolved into something more powerful - it has become a liberating movement that has sparked a global conversation on an issue that has been brushed under the rug for far too long. #MeToo has become a battle cry as those who have been abused, overlooked and belittled rise through years of oppression and regain their voice.

Now if you are a woman reading this, there is an extremely high chance you've been at the least sexually harassed and for that, I am incredibly sorry. It happens all the time and at the expense of sounding extremely ignorant, I wasn't aware of how indifferent I had become to it. This occurred so often since I was at least 13 that I somehow stopped being enraged and started brushing it off. Society taught us to internalize our anger and to smile and awkwardly nod in distressing situations. Seriously, every woman does it - we just all somehow understood that that's how we are supposed to respond when someone is being creepy to you because you, and get this, DON'T WANT TO BE RUDE.

If you are a guy, ask your friend or sister how she walks to her car at night when she is alone, and 9/10 times she'll say she grabs her keys ready to stab and will probably call (or pretend to call) someone on the phone. I've honestly lost count how many times I have been taught tips and skills on how to defend myself from a possible attacker. Women fear being assaulted so much that taking self-defense classes is a regular thing they do to know how to protect themselves.

During the past few weeks, I've heard several people complain about the #MeToo movement and the negative effects it has on men specifically. To this I say, and please excuse my language, fuck off. The problem isn't the movement, the problem is you. If you feel victimized and as if there is a witch hunt, then you should reconsider your behavior and your attitude towards women because you are part of the problem.

#MeToo wasn't made to please you and give you butterflies in your stomach, it's difficult. It's difficult to see how many people have been assaulted. It's difficult to hear the stories of the victims. It's difficult to think about how many are still being abused and it's especially difficult to process how substantial this crisis is, but it's not difficult to understand how vital this is for the advancement of women, minorities and the LGBTQ community.

If you are a woman who thinks you don't need #MeToo to feel empowered, that's a conversation for another week. It has literally taken thousands of years for the victimized to stand strong and realize there is strength in numbers, but it's finally happening. Men and women should be doing everything they can to ensure that this crusade continues because its message is one that is essential for the marginalized to advance to a position of power.