Time correspondent reveals the secret message on that iconic cover

Dec 7, 2017

Earlier this week, Time Magazine revealed that their annual Person of the Year would actually come in the form of many people, now known as The Silence Breakers.

Paying tribute to the voices that launched a movement which highlighted the pervasive nature of sexual violence and misogyny, Time featured Ashley Judd, Susan Fowler, Adama Iwu, Taylor Swift, and Isabel Pascual on their iconic cover.

However, you may have also noticed the arm of another person in the bottom right hand corner of the image which isn't actually attached to any of the women featured.

Explaining its presence, Time national correspondent Charlotte Alter told BuzzFeed News that the elbow was a deliberate inclusion, representing the women who came forward but chose to remain anonymous.

"In the bottom left of the cover, there is an arm where you just see the elbow and you don't see the person," she acknowledged "That's very intentional."

"That's an anonymous woman who is a hospital worker who was experiencing harassment and didn't feel that she could come forward [publicly]."

I’m honored to be a part of the Time Person Year issue with @TaranaBurke. This is for every woman who came forward. This is for every woman who was brave enough to say #MeTooI hear you. I stand with you. I see you. I am you. #BreakTheSilence pic.twitter.com/MRSSKKPWeu

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 6, 2017

"It's important to include people who have to stay anonymous for professional reasons, who don't have the resources to weather what would happen if they lost their job or they couldn't support their families. So we wanted to include [these people] to really reference the risk that these women are taking by speaking out about this."

Like Taylor Swift, Charlotte accepted that while strides have been made, society still has a long way to go.

"A huge part of this story is that, as much as the stigma around this has been removed this year because of the Me Too movement, it's still really difficult for a lot of women to come forward."