With allegations of sexual harassment and assault levied against the likes of Harvey Weinstein, his brother Bob Weinstein, and now former president George H.W. Bush over the past month, it's safe to say it's been a testing and emotional time for sexual assault victims and the general public.
As a result, thousands of men and women around the world have used the opportunity to talk about their own experiences of sexual assault. Some have used social media hashtags such as #MeToo and #HowIWillChange to open up the discussion, others have shared the names of alleged victims, and there are some who are finally taking legal action against their assailants.
In light of the public's outcry and countless number of high profile sexual assault claims, former Vice President Joe Biden and singer Lady Gaga have shared a powerful message on behalf of the 2014 White House initiative 'It's On Us' to encourage everyone, regardless of gender and experiences of sexual misconduct, to come together to stop heinous acts of sexual violence.
Sitting alongside Gaga - a sexual assault campaigner and long supporter of Biden - Biden spoke about the courage of those who have been forgotten and abused who make the brave decision to break their silence an raise awareness.
'We want to make it real clear that it's on us, it's on everyone, to intervene and stop abuse when they see it and when they hear about it,' Biden said during the clip.
Gaga added that she knows all too well 'the effects, the aftermath, the trauma: psychological, physical, mental' that affect both men and women.
'It can be terrifying waking up every day feeling unsafe in your own body,' she said.
'We're here to remind you that it's important to reach out to someone in your life that you can trust and to know that they will be there to help you. There will be someone to listen, "cause you know what? It's on us".'
Biden and Gaga brought to light the former government's pledge Its On Us at last year's Oscars,, where the singer welcomed survivors onstage during her performance of 'Til It Happens To You'.
The political introduced his friend to the stage on the night, telling the star-studded audience: 'Let's change the culture.'
'We must and we can change the culture so that no abused woman or man like the survivors that you see tonight will have to ask themselves, "What did I do?" They did nothing wrong.'
Following her emotional performance, Gaga took to Twitter to speak out for singer Kesha, who was involved with an ongoing legal battle with record producer, Dr. Luke, who she accused of sexually assaulting her.
What a powerful message.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
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