It has only been six months since Emma Watson took up her post as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, and she already has the world to a standing ovation of her work. Last weekend, Watson brought global leaders, diplomats, and activists to their feet with her eloquent speech on gender equality and empowerment. If you have yet to see the speech that has taken the Internet by storm, pause your reading right now and give it a listen. The power and truth behind every minute of the clip is enough to grab anyone’s attention.
Throughout the address, Watson highlighted major problems in the fight for gender equality. She discussed the problematic notion of associating feminism with “man-hating.” She addresses how people today reject feminism completely, viewing it as “too aggressive, isolating and anti-men.” She talked of her own relationship with feminism and how her life experiences as a female celebrity shaped her views.
Besides being a Harry Potter, worldwide, A-List celebrity, almost all the issues Watson discussed are as relevant in our lives as they are in hers. Daily, we, as men and women, are expected to meet certain standards associated with our gender. Our societal worth has long been defined by the level to which we can satisfy presumed cultural expectations of the genders. Boys and men around the world are expected to be strong and commanding leaders, just as women are expected to be quiet and respectful followers. Watson’s speech addressed these outdated standards and introduced UN Women’s new initiative to combat violence against women and empower both genders in the fight for equality.
Broadly, the campaign, called HeForShe, aims to incorporate boys and men into its program to create a uniting force advocating for an end to gender inequality. By visiting the website, you can share your support for the idea and the campaign. You can also view poignant quotes from global leaders, check out the HeForShe social media campaign, and see where HeForShe is gaining support around the world. The whole idea is to get the boys and men in everyone’s lives involved, so make sure to share the page with your friends and family.
Despite Watson’s speech receiving resounding support at the United Nations, it’s hard to escape the negative backlash she is receiving from it as well. Many do not see her speech as groundbreaking or overly important. Frustrations have arisen over the choice of a white, wealthy, Western woman presenting this new program. Some see this as an isolation of the women in areas of extreme gender suppression and violence. On one hand, it is very easy to understand these frustrations. Couldn’t the UN have chosen a woman with a more prolific background in feminism and the fight for gender equality? Why Emma Watson?
It is somewhat ironic to see these critiques pop up surrounding an address that centered on unification around the issue. Yes, there are more qualified people out there to address the topic. But for an introductory address meant to simply garner attention and support for a new program, an intelligent, global celebrity like Emma Watson is exactly the choice the UN needed. Already 145,548 men have signed on to HeForShe online. Watson’s speech has been viewed nearly one million times in the past week. So whether we are raving about the strength in her words, questioning the choice of speaker, or exploring the HeForShe website, UN Women and the HeForShe campaign most definitely has the world’s attention.
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