Every year, Time magazine releases a December issue that puts the Person of the Year on the cover. This tradition has been done by Time editors since 1927 and just like the Forbes annual lists of anything relevant, Time’s Person of the Year is a highly-anticipated reveal.

So, what does it take to grace the front cover and being named as Person of the Year? Well, that person or group of people should be the main influence on the year’s news, may it be good or bad. This major criterion faces criticisms from people all over the world. Others believe that naming someone who has been a negative beacon defeats the title Person of the Year.

Let’s look at the magazine’s Person of the Year, and thankfully, they are all a source of inspiration. Meet the silence breakers of our generation.

#MeToo

Just this year, the #MeToo movement became one of the most trending topics. This Twitter hashtag shows support for women who have become victims of intimate advantage from predators. People, not just women all over the world use this hashtag to create a conversation that rape and intimate assaults are a real thing. Because of this, women are starting to speak up about their past experiences. The movement is responsible for Hollywood’s cutting ties with these predators.

Now, let’s meet the women that are on the cover of the famous magazine.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is one of the most successful musicians of all time. Her dating life and appearances are always under the scrutiny of the masses. She recently took the stand to testify against the radio DJ, David Mueller. According to the pop star, Mueller touched her in a malicious way during a photo session.

Taylor Swift in the courtroom testifying against Mueller

The DJ filed a civil suit against Swift, telling that the incident did not happen. The pop star filed a countersuit against the DJ for only $1. The judge dismissed Mueller’s civil suit and granted Swift the justice she bravely faced. According to Taylor, she still has not received the $1 from Mueller, an action she clearly sees as a sign of defiance.

Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd was the first celebrity to speak up about the infamous behavior of Harvey Weinstein. She was only an upcoming actress when she was invited to a closed-door meeting with Weinstein, the head, and co-owner of Miramax. That is when she narrates of being forced by the businessman to have an intimate activity together. Judd immediately fled the room and started to tell everyone of what happened.

After speaking up about it, more and more women, celebrities and others started to take a stand against Weinstein. And his downfall began.

Susan Fowler

Susan Fowler is a former engineer of the multi-million dollar company, Uber. Her decision to quit was influenced by her boss who was verbally convincing her to sleep with him. Her manager sent her a long thread explaining how he is in an open relationship and is struggling to find a woman to have a physical relationship with.

Susan Fowler resigned from Uber after receiving verbal harassment from her manager at her very first day in the company

The messages were clearly a verbal assault on her part that is why she decided to take a screenshot of it. She reported the incident to the company’s Human Resource but she was dismissed. This fueled her heart to quit the company and tell her story to the world. Her 3,000-word essay became viral, leading to an investigation of the company’s mishandling. The company’s CEO, Travis Kalanick resigned from his post after the brutal criticisms he received as the company’s over-all head.

Adama Iwu

Adama Iwu is not a celebrity, unlike Judd and Swift. But despite her humble status, she was able to be an influencer and a silence breaker in her own way. Iwu is the woman behind the ‘We Said Enough’ movement in the United States. The movement came about after news of Weinstein’s allegations started to flood the media. She lacks the emotion of surprise after hearing this news. After all, women always encounter these kinds of behavior from men. Together with 147 women who share the same experience, Iwu and the movement she founded wrote an open letter challenging the culture of rape and intimate assault in California.

Isabel Pascual

Isabel Pascual is only a pseudonym of the Mexican woman who speaks out during the march

Isabel Pascual is a Mexican woman who works as a strawberry-picker. She caught the world’s attention after delivering a very powerful message during the #MeToo March in Los Angeles. She said that women all over the world, from various industries, have had enough of these rude actions that the court continues to give a blind eye.