The #MeToo movement has been around since 2006, and its goal is to give a voice to women who have been sexual assault, abused, or taken advantage of. The movement gained momentum in 2017 when Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault by many women. #MeToo gave women a voice to get justice for themselves and others. However, the movement was not confined to the United States. The Nigerian #MeToo movement, known as #ArewaMeToo, began after the founders were inspired by the United State's movement. The women who founded this movement termed it #ArewaMeToo because arewa is the term used to describe Northern Nigeria. 

 

In 2017, the Nigerian movement accelerated after a woman by the name of Busola Dakolo came forward to tell her story about her own sexual assault. Dakolo was a young girl when the sexual assault occurred and the man involved was a famous pastor named, Biodun Fatoyinbo. Biodun Fatoyinbo is known throughout Africa and considered a celebrity as the Catholic religion has a heavy influence in the region. This accusation came just six years after Fatoyinbo had been accused of “abuse and manipulation ' by a fellow church worker. People often asked Dakolo why she waited so long to come out to tell her story, and her reasoning was very similar to what women in America had said. She felt intimidated to come forward and she felt as if no one would care or believe her. Even her family didn’t support her. Following the incident Dakolo told her family and her own mother told her to, “Be happy that a man of God did that to her.” But Dakolo's bravery and confidence led to her telling the world of what happened and this in turn sparked the #ArewaMeToo movement. The allegation encouraged a movement of women to come forward against church officials, people in power, and significant others all throughout Nigeria. They gave support to Dakolo and others to help women get justice from men in the region and especially men of authority or power. With so many women coming forward, the movement gained media attention and this has enabled their their message of justice for women to reach regions and communities across the world.