‘Silence Breakers’ named Time Person of the Year 2017
Taylor Swift and Ashley Judd feature on cover dedicated to #MeToo movement
Time has bestowed its annual Person of the Year award for 2017 on the “Silence Breakers” behind the #MeToo movement.
The cover image, photographed by German team Billy & Hells, shows five women designed to be representative of the dozens of people interviewed for Time’s feature, as well as millions more who have come forward from all walks of life.
The most recognisable face is that of singer Taylor Swift, who was sued by a radio DJ whom she accused of groping her, accepting a nominal settlement of $1 when the court found in her favour.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Another familiar figure on the cover is Ashley Judd, one of the first women to publicly accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment
The allegations against Weinstein were the catalyst for a culture-shifting conversation about the prevalence of sexual assault. In October, the #MeToo hashtag trended across the globe as other came forward with their own accounts of harassment and abuse.
“The women and men who have broken their silence span all races, all income classes, all occupations and virtually all corners of the globe,” says Time.
Isabel Pascual - not her real name - is one of the five women featured. An agricultural labourer originally from Mexico, she participated in a march organised in Los Angeles in the wake of the Weinstein allegations, where she described being harassed and stalked by a man who threatened her children.
The other women on the cover, corporate lobbyist Adama Iwu and Silicon Valley engineer Susan Fowler, both organised campaigns to expose sexual harassment in their respective industries, inspired by their own experiences and touched off by the Weinstein revelations.
"This isn't about a couple of bad actors," Iwu told CNN in October. "It's about shifting the entire environment."
In the lower-right corner of the cover, the arm and shoulder of a sixth woman can be seen. The woman in question, a hospital employee who feared for her livelihood if she was identifed, represents the untold legion of victims who are still unable to tell their story.
"The galvanising actions of the women on our cover… along with those of hundreds of others, and of many men as well, have unleashed one of the highest-velocity shifts in our culture since the 1960s," Time editor Edward Felsenthal said in a statement.
On Twitter, users applauded Time’s choice:
Actor Terry Crews, who came forward with his own experience of being groped by a Hollywood executive, said he was “honoured” to be among those interviewed for the story.
Some used the choice to take a jab at US President Donald Trump, who last month became embroiled in a Twitter spat with Time after claiming he had turned down the Person of the Year award - a claim the magazine denied.
Trump came second on the list, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in third place.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'This growing lack of social exposure is terrible for us and terrible for democracy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What would a constitutional convention look like?
In the Spotlight There's no precedent, raising fears of a 'runaway convention'
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
All the comedians to see on tour this winter
The week recommends The warmth of laughter will get you through the cold months
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
What will happen in 2025? Predictions and events
The Explainer The new year could bring further chaos in the Middle East and an intensifying AI arms race – all under the shadow of a second Donald Trump presidency
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
People of the year 2024
In the Spotlight Remember the people who hit the headlines this year?
By The Week UK Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published