Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Since it was first popularized more than a year ago by actress Alyssa Milano, the #MeToo hashtag has been used over 19 million times, and 75% of public officials accused in the U.S. of sexual misconduct will be out of office by the new year.
The big picture: #MeToo has rocked a number of institutions previously resistant to believing victims of sexual misconduct, with more expected to come.
Politics
It was the year of the woman, in more ways than one.
- A record-setting number of women won seats in Congress in November's midterms.
- The Senate and the House came to an agreement on a bill which tackles the process staffers and lawmakers undergo when accusing a colleague of sexual misconduct.
- The #MeToo movement was part of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
- Flashback: President Trump joked about the rules of #MeToo at a Pennsylvania rally, saying it kept him from using the phrase "the woman who got away."
Tech
Silicon Valley has a big sexual harassment problem that it was forced to start tackling.
- Google employees staged an international walkout to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment and misconduct, leading CEO Sundar Pichai to change some (though not all) of Google's policies.
- Uber created a new program to better categorize complaints of harassment or assault, with the hope of having more effective responses.
Religion
Religious institutions around the world had to face their histories of abuse.
- A bombshell investigation detailed abuse of children at the hands of hundreds of Catholic clergy members in Pennsylvania that spanned over decades.
- Nuns came forward with accusations against priests and bishops.
- Pope Francis was forced to answer for years of Church inaction.
- Worthy of your time: BuzzFeed News' years-long investigation into abuse at a Catholic orphanage in Vermont.
Media
- CBS had its year of reckoning, giving CEO Les Moonves the boot, along with settling with accusers of Charlie Rose and an actress who says she was retaliated against for reporting sexual misconduct.
- Photojournalists broke their silence about harassment in the industry.
- The Miss America pageant rebranded as a result of the #MeToo movement.
Education
- Michigan State reached a $500 million settlement with more than 330 victims of former sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to 40-175 years.
- University of Southern California reached a $215 million settlement with women who accused the school's former gynecologist of sexual abuse and misconduct.
- Dartmouth was sued by seven women for $70 million who say the institution ignored complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination.
Around the globe
It wasn't just the U.S. — men and women around the world said enough is enough.
- India's movement was a long time coming.
- China saw a feminist awakening.
- Britain honed in on rampant abuse in Parliament.
Go deeper: #MeToo shows no signs of slowing down