What is the Me Too hashtag and what does #MeToo have to do with Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein?
WOMEN are being encouraged to speak up about sexual harassment thanks to the "Me Too" hashtag that has been sweeping the world since October 2017.
It comes in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations and has even spread to President Donald Trump - so here is the lowdown...
What does the "Me Too" hashtag mean?
Women from all over the world have come forward to share their story of being sexually harassed.
They have done it on social media using the hashtag "Me Too", which aims to show the magnitude of sexual assault.
So far over half a million women have tweeted Me Too.
How did the Me Too hashtag start?
The hashtag started trending worldwide after a call to action from actress Alyssa Milano.
It was in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's downfall over of allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades.
Posting on Twitter, Alyssa passed along a suggestion from a friend that women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted post "Me Too" to give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.
More than two dozen women - among them actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow - have made accusations against Weinstein including rape and sexual assault.
Weinstein insists sexual relations he had were consensual.
The hashtag is in support of all women who have been sexually harassed by someone.
Men have also been using the hashtag to show support to women and to reveal their own incidents of abuse too.
Alyssa's rally call has sparked off other hashtags too.
In France, Twitter users are using #balancetonporc or "expose the pig" to encourage women to name and shame their attackers, while #Womenwhoroar is being used to encourage victims of sexual abuse to speak up.
Who are 'The Silence Breakers'?
The "silence breakers" refer to any man or woman who came forward to say that they had been the victim of abuse.
The brave group were named The Time Person Of The Year in December 2017.
Which stars have tweeted the Me Too hashtag?
Alyssa's former co-star on TV's Charmed, Rose McGowan, tweeted in support of the campaign.
She has accused Weinstein of raping her.
Rose has become an outspoken online critic of both Weinstein and Hollywood's culture of the objectification of women.
Stars who have tweeted "Me Too" to say they have been sexually harassed at some point in their lives by someone included:
- Lady Gaga
- Monica Lewinsky
- Debra Messing
- Gabrielle Union
- Anna Paquin
- Patricia Arquette
- Rosario Dawson
- Rachel Wood
- America Ferrea
- Bjork
- Sheryl Crow
- Gillian Anderson
- Rosario Dawson
- Selma Blair
- Labour MP Stella Creasy
She posted a statement on Twitter saying convicted sex offender Larry Nassar began molesting her when she was 13 and continued for seven years.
What went on at Westminster?
A secret list of sex-pest MPs are among politicians listed in a WhatsApp group set up by furious female researchers, secretaries and aides.
The group was created to share horror stories and warn new recruits of sleazy bosses.
Reports include tales of MPs groping staff in lifts and a Minister branded “Not Safe In Taxis” because of his wandering hands.
What happened with Donald Trump?
The White House has dismissed calls for a congressional investigation of allegations Donald Trump sexually harassed women, saying the American people had spoken on the matter by electing him president.
Three women who claim they were sexually harassed by Mr Trump before he ran for president urged Congress to investigate his behaviour and allegations of misconduct.
President Trump has denied all allegations made by Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks.
Have any celebrities criticised the Me Too hashtag?
French cinema icon Catherine Deneuve, 74, has denounced the Me Too movement in an open letter published in France's Le Monde newspaper.
Her open letter claimed that "legitimate protests against the sexual violence that women are subject to, particularly in their professional lives," had turned into a "witch hunt."
Catherine continued: "Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or clumsily, is not - nor is men being gentlemanly a macho attack.
"Men have been punished summarily, forced out of their jobs when all they did was touch someone's knee or try to steal a kiss."
What allegations has St Paul's Girls' School seen?
St Paul's Girls' School has revealed allegations have been made by at least two former pupils, while others are said to have reported friends' accounts.
The prestigious Hammersmith school's High Mistress, Sarah Fletcher, has urged former pupils to identify those responsible for abuse, the Huffington Post has revealed.
She thanked former students for coming forward and pledged to support them, before asking those felt able to identify individuals to make a report to police.