NEW YORK: Tens of thousands of women are recounting being sexually harassed or assaulted by flooding social media with the hashtag #metoo in the wake of claims against movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

Their stories of being verbally abused, groped, molested and raped by bosses, teachers and family come after American actress Alyssa Milano called on Twitter users on Sunday to post “Me too” to share their experiences of being harassed or worse.

Women – and men – quickly responded on Twitter and Facebook. Many wrote that they had never known a woman who had not been sexually harassed or assaulted.

“Lived a life in a world where it was expected, grew thinking I deserved it,” wrote another. “Couldn’t begin to count the # times or men-far too many.”

Many on Twitter and Facebook simply wrote “Me Too,” including actresses Anna Paquin, Patricia Arquette, Debra Messing and Anika Noni Rose and singer Lady Gaga.

20-year-old Instagrams every man who catcalled her in a month

“Me too. I don’t know if means anything coming from a gay man but it’s happened. Multiple times,” tweeted Broadway actor Javier Munoz.

Weinstein’s accusers include actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who told The New York Times that she was sexually harassed by Weinstein more than 20 years ago, and actress and director Angelina Jolie, who told the Times she “had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth and as a result chose never to work with him again.”

The 65-year-old movie producer has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

On social media, some questioned the utility of the “Me Too” campaign, pointing out earlier efforts such as a #YesAllWomen crusade against sexual violence and harassment.

“I’m tired of thinking these things actually make a difference,” wrote one Facebook user. “Laws are what makes a difference.”

Many women wrote of getting fired or being forced to quit after shunning advances by bosses.

Victims unite against harassment in rising #MeToo campaign

“Many jobs. From high school to grad school. Whether I was an intern or director. It’s everywhere. It’s disgusting,” one Twitter user wrote.

Men also posted their support.

Will Goodman, a journalist in New York wrote on his Facebook status, “I’m at a loss for words and literally crying as I see ‘Me, too’ stream on my NewsFeed.”

“I have always known that it is more widespread than acknowledged and to have these stark visual moments on social media is horrifying and heartbreaking,” Goodman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

Showing how widespread the problem is, India’s capital New Delhi and Brazil’s Sao Paulo were paired as the world’s worst megacities for sexual violence against women in a poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday.

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Source: Tribune News | Social media fills with ‘Me Too’ stories of sexual harassment, assault

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket authority confirmed on Monday that it will go ahead with its tour of Pakistan later this month for the third and final T20I match despite security concerns expressed by several players.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said its executive committee agreed unanimously that the October 29 match in Lahore should go ahead as scheduled following reassurances of the best possible security.

The board said it “confirmed its commitment to play the third T20” in Lahore following assessments made by both Sri Lankan and Pakistan government authorities, independent security experts and the International Cricket Council.

Sri Lanka captain Tharanga pulls out of Lahore T20I

“Accordingly, the selection committee of the SLC will finalise a squad of 22 by Tuesday and announce the final 15 on Friday,” said the SLC in a statement.

SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala will accompany the team to Lahore, the statement added.

The October 29 match will be the first played in Pakistan by Sri Lanka — or any other top international team — since militants ambushed its team bus en route to the Lahore stadium in 2009, wounding at least seven players.

Sri Lanka should come to Lahore, says Sarfraz Ahmed

Doubts over whether the match would take place were raised over the weekend when some players expressed concerns for their safety and the board said it would review security reports, making a final determination on Monday.

Lahore will host the T20I series finale following several matches played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Pakistan have played their “home” internationals since the ambush.

Since 2009, the only international team to visit Pakistan is Zimbabwe, who played five limited-overs games in Lahore in 2015.

But after Pakistan successfully staged the final of its domestic Pakistan Super League tournament in Lahore under heavy security this March, the country hoped international games could once again resume.

A successful series against a World XI team featuring top foreign players in Lahore last month further boosted calls for cricket to return to the militancy-racked nation.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief Sumathipala in August appealed for an end to Pakistan’s isolation — a statement welcomed by Pakistani cricket officials — and urged countries to come to play.

He recalled that several Test nations did not want to visit Sri Lanka at the height of the Tamil separatist conflict, when bombs were exploding in the capital in the mid-1990s, but Pakistan and India had toured Sri Lanka at the time.

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Source: Tribune News | Sri Lanka Cricket confirm Pakistan tour

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2018-20 on Monday.

The elections were held in New York at the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Office said. Pakistan secured more than two-third majority votes. There were five candidates from the Asia Pacific region against four seats.

Since its establishment in 2006, this is for the fourth time that Pakistan has been elected a member of the council.

“Pakistan’s membership to this council demonstrates a strong vote of confidence of the international community in our role and contribution to the national and global human rights agenda,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said.

UN to review Pakistan for compliance with global human rights treaty

He added that as a member, Pakistan would continue to remain actively engaged with the council, its machinery, processes and relevant stakeholders, both at home and abroad.

He added that apart from continuing to act as a consensus builder at the international level, Pakistan would also build on efforts towards ensuring that the council’s work was guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, dialogue and cooperation.

“Pakistan is firmly committed to uphold, promote and safeguard universal human rights for all, including through its membership of the human rights council.”

UN urges Pakistan to gear up for periodic review

Pakistan will return to the council after a gap of two years. Pakistan’s bid to get reelected as the member of UN human rights watchdog in 2015 failed as it could not win enough votes. The diplomatic humiliation at the world forum had raised questions about the performance of the foreign office.

Former high commissioner to India Abdul Basit had held the then foreign secretary, Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, who is currently the ambassador to the US, responsible for the debacle.

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Source: Tribune News | Pakistan elected to UN Human Rights Council