No matter who you are, and whether you label yourself as a feminist or not, Emma Watson’s speech for the #HeForShe campaign struck a nerve. A quick google search will show you headlines ranging from “Emma Watson’s Excellent UN Speech for Gender Equality” (Digg) to “We Should be Critical, But Not Dismissive of Emma Watson’s UN Campaign” (Huffington Post). As we all know, a lot of the time the words “feminism” and “feminist” carry a negative connotation with them. Women don’t identify as feminists because they “don’t hate men” and men don’t identify as feminists because they either feel like they will be excluded from the movement or that there is nothing that needs to change. Emma Watson’s speech on September 20th called everybody out on their preconceived ideas about what feminism is, isn’t, and what it means to be a feminist.
One of the very first things she states is that we need men and boys to be present in this fight as well. She specifically addresses the idea that feminists are “man-haters” by stating “The more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.” Emma Watson has become one of the first public figures to recognize that feminism is about equality for people regardless of gender, because feminism is simply about fighting for complete equality between genders. She is also one of the few public figures who recognize that gender inequality doesn’t only affect women, but men as well, even if it is in different ways. Watson said: “We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are, and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence.” She goes on to talk about how men often suffer from mental illness but are afraid to seek treatment out of fear of being considered too feminine.
To very briefly summarize her speech, if you believe in the political, social, and economic equality of the sexes, you ARE a feminist. Take on that label, and wear it proudly. If you’re still not convinced, Emma Watson addressed that as well: “And if you still hate the word—it is not the word that is important but the idea and the ambition behind it.”
However, just days after Watson’s speech, people have begun criticizing the speech for everything from how inclusive it is to women and men of color, as well as the brand of Watson’s suit. Do you think Emma Watson wasn’t inclusive enough? Do you believe she didn’t focus on the right things during her speech and left important things out? Or do you believe her speech was a strong call to action? We would love to hear your thoughts. Watch the speech here and feel free to comment below!