Photo: CTV

Nearly a year old and still making headlines almost daily, the #MeToo movement faces a dramatic test of its impact and staying power in the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Leaders of the movement suggest that Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, might have never found the courage to come forward publicly about an alleged assault from her high school days without the examples set by women worldwide who've spoken out about past encounters with sexual assault and harassment.

"Time and time again, people have been inspired by the people who came before them," said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women's Law Center. "They are willing to take on the risk of retaliation."

Goss Graves is heartened by the fact that numerous senators of both parties say Ford deserves a chance to be heard on Capitol Hill — in itself, she said, an indication of the #MeToo movement's staying power.

The movement exploded worldwide in October 2017, sparked by detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Across the U.S., and in many foreign countries, it has toppled powerful men in a wide range of fields — entertainment, journalism, politics and high tech, among others. Celebrity chefs, TV hosts and members of Congress are among those who have lost their jobs.

Almost from the start, it also fueled a backlash among those who felt the movement sometimes led to excesses and injustice. Ford's allegations have rekindled that resentment.

Conservative actor James Woods, in a subsequently deleted tweet, depicted hers accusations as one of numerous "#MeTooLynchings." The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial Monday titled "The #MeToo Kavanaugh Ambush."

"Letting an accusation that is this old, this unsubstantiated and this procedurally irregular defeat Mr. Kavanaugh would also mean weaponizing every sexual assault allegation no matter the evidence," the editorial said. "It will tarnish the #MeToo cause with the smear of partisanship."

Actor Sean Penn chimed in, suggesting it would be good for #MeToo "to just slow down."