Studies show women of all ages support the #MeToo movement

Attention women of all ages: We’re not so different after all — even when it comes to our views of the #MeToo movement.

As millions of women shared their stories of sexual harassment and abuse using the hashtag “Me Too,” which was created by activist Tarana Burke, disagreements over the movement ensued. The generational divide purported by talking heads on television and furious users on Twitter has women divided into two groups based solely on age.

Women under 35 are told women 35 and older think we’re too sensitive when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse. We should learn to deal with the realities of the workplace as they did, older women supposedly say. We’re taking it too far, they reportedly reprimand.

But a March 2018 study revealed older women support the efforts of the #MeToo movement as vehemently as younger women do. The study, conducted by Vox and Morning Consult, a nonpartisan technology and media company, dispels the myth of the great generational divide between women under 35 and women 35 and older. After surveying more than 2,500 women of different ages, races, ethnicities, educational attainments and regions, the results showed most women 35 and older don’t think the movement has gone too far. Rather, they agree with younger women that our society is in need of change.

When asked, generally speaking, if they supported the #MeToo movement, 71 percent of the younger group and 68 percent of the older group said “yes.” Fifty-eight percent of women under 35 and 52 percent of women 35 and older said the #MeToo movement represents their own interests.

It goes deeper than general support. In fact, these similar rates of support across generations were probably impacted by the rates of women who say they have been sexually harassed. When asked if they have been sexually harassed at work, 29 percent of the younger group of women and 33 percent of the older group said “yes.”

There was also broad agreement between the age groups about what constitutes sexual harassment, though younger women and young feminists in general are criticized for having a broader definition of sexual harassment than older women.

Of course, there were differences between the age groups. Women 35 and older were 9 percent less likely to report sexual harassment at work than the younger group, which could be a sign that workplace culture is moving in the right direction for women.

These findings are significant and sadly surprising. We’re led to believe all younger women want a better world for women, while all older women believe we should find our place to succeed within the patriarchy. This narrative undermines our abilities to determine our worldviews based on anything other than years on the planet. More than that, it’s just another example of women being pitted against each other when we should be seeing our similarities and working together.

When asked if they were optimistic about the lasting change the #MeToo movement could cause, the older group of women said “yes” more than the younger women did. Seventy percent of the former group said they think it is likely men will be more conscious of inappropriate behavior as a direct result of this movement. Less than 60 percent of the younger group said the same.

Younger women, we have a lot to learn from the women who have come before us, who have gotten us to a point where a movement like #MeToo can actually change things. Let’s tune out the false, hateful rhetoric and remember that we are all on one team, fighting so the next generation of women will have a better, more equal world.

Carly Breit is a UF journalism senior. Her column focuses on feminism.