'Me too'

It's a simple, yet incredibly powerfully statement, and the latest hashtag collecting stories of sexual harassment and abuse on social media.

On Sunday night, Alyssa Milano (who starred in Charmed with Rose McGowan) called on women to speak up about surviving sexual assault by using the hashtag 'me too', urging people to reply to her on Twitter if they had ever been harassed or assaulted.

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She also Tweeted a note that read 'Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.'

The movement started in response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal and its ensuing fall out.

After Milano posted the message to her Twitter account, an onslaught of women - some famous and many not - tweeted back and shared their experiences. Over 25,000 people have now posted words on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles.

In the UK, Labour MP Stella Creasy also Tweeted the words:

When another Twitter user said it was crazy of her to admit it, she responded: 'Not 'admitting' anything. Saying I've been harassed like millions of women [and] girls all around the world. Shame is on the attackers, not me.'

Men also Tweeted their responses:

Last week Milano wrote an essay for PatriotNotPartisan.com that said giving a statement on Weinstein was 'complicated' for her for 'personal reasons.' She is friends with Weinstein's now estranged wife, Georgina Chapman, whom she has previously worked with on 'Project Runway All Stars.'

But Milano said she is passionate about women's rights: 'Sexual harassment and assault in the workplace are not just about Harvey Weinstein,' she wrote.'We must change things in general. We must do better for women everywhere.'

Weinstein has been disgraced after more than 30 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.

In addition to losing his job and his wife, Weinstein was stripped of his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday. Weinstein, through a spokesperson, has 'unequivocally' denied 'any allegations of non-consensual sex.'

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Louise Donovan
Deputy Digital Editor
Louise Donovan is the Deputy Digital Editor at ELLE UK, with a focus on international women's rights, global development and human interest stories. She's reported from countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.