By Lexis Elston

Earlier this month, the former movie mogul and founder of The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein, was confronted with a slew of various sexual-assault charges from many reputable women across Hollywood and beyond. These charges were pressed against Mr. Weinstein by actresses and models who had worked alongside or for Mr. Weinstein in previous years before. Shortly after the release of this story, many women were inspired with confidence to give hope to other women around Hollywood and through the world to come forth with their own stories of sexual assault.

For many women, it can feel shameful, painful and embarrassing to talk about such a personal sexual-assault experience. The wake of the Weinstein scandal has prompted many women to feel optimistic and strong in themselves, as well as to spread their message on to all others who have ever been victims of assault. Many women have been sharing their personal stories of sexual assault for the world to see, via Twitter, Facebook, and more. In particular, the Instagram app has become a major hub for sexual-assault awareness. Many public figures as well as everyday working women have been coming forth with their stories, with the intention of spreading confidence and hope throughout all of those affected by assault. The Instagram hashtag #MeToo has been coined on Instagram with the purpose of unifying all women affected by assault. #MeToo has paved the way for many individuals battling their experiences to unite and stand strong with other women across the USA and the world.

Sexual assault does not just take place in Hollywood alone. All around the world, women are constantly subjected to high chances of being sexually assaulted. Let’s take a quick look at the statistics. One out of every six American women has been the of victim sexual assault in her lifetime. Nine out of every 10 rapes occur among females. One in 20 women report being raped in college since the beginning of their school year (about an average of 7 months). Sexual assault and rape among college students and universities is unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence across the United States. To continue, the statistics gathered from college surveys are often just percentages of who has to confidence to speak up. The more that women find the confidence and power to speak out against sexual assault, the more it will change the world for the better.

According to the RAINN National Network (Rape, Assault and Incest National Network) sexual assault has made a large decline in numbers. Since 1993, rape and sexual assault among women in the United States has fallen by a whopping 63 percent. The more noise women make, the bigger the change will be. It often takes one brave voice to start a revolution and to bring about a significant change. As long as women and all individuals alike personally take a strong stand, make a statement and continue to fight with confident steps towards change, sexual assault will continue to diminish in numbers. There is hope for victims of sexual assault, and for the decrease in its occurrence around the country. If anyone ever feels the need to talk about their experiences or to receive help, RAINN National Network provides a National Sexual Assault Hotline that can be reached anytime at 1-800-656-4673.