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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

Gender equality has taken on a whole new meaning these past few months with the newest campaign of “HeForShe” attracting celebrities and public figures like summer in the Hamptons. And while the fundamental intent of the campaign is to make feminism a shared goal, the publicity and showmanship surrounding it has taken on a life of its own. Emma Watson, actress and UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, launched the campaign on September 20th in a speech presented at UN where she implored her captivated audience to join her in making gender equality an inclusive priority. Not only did Watson received applause and approval at the UN, the star became an Internet sensation worldwide and started a trend of feminist support. Superseding the speech were millions of social networking responses, thousands of which included, but were not limited to, celebrity male and female figures alike.

Chris Colfer, known for his role in the hit tv show Glee, tweeted “#HeForShe is a great cause to get behind! Please check it out. So proud of @EmWatson!”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, star of The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, tweeted “And speaking of #Feminism, @EmWatson is doing a great project called #HeForShe. Go check it out http://HeForShe.org”

While Alexa Chung, an English television personality, model and contributing editor at British Vogue, instagrammed her support of HeForShe with a sign from the Chanel fashion show, with the words “HeForShe” written on it.

The campaign put on its best dress and turned up at Chanel’s Paris SS15 catwalk show where Karl Lagerfeld and a wealth of People’s “Most Beautiful People” donned feminism, like a hat, for the day. Posters painted with “History is Her Story” and “Ladies First” hit the runway, solidifying feminism as the hottest new thing. Support for the campaign and feminism in general seems to be skyrocketing, with a new story featuring taking a stand on feministic issues popping up as often as a sale at the bookstore. With Taylor Swift speaking out against claims that her career has been solely based on her relationships, asserting that such a claim is sexist, and JLaw reprimanding her nude photo hack as sexual assaults, it is clear the trend between gender equality and Hollywood is alive and well.

What do you think of the campaign? We want to hear from you! Why does or doesn’t it work? Let us know what you think! For now, why not make good on the trend and push for some real change, at least you’ll know for sure, you’re in style. 

Photo sources:

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/interactive/2014/9/emma-watson-he-fo…

http://www.socialsneaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014…

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Lisa Chen

U Toronto

Lisa Chen is currently a second year student majoring in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (it's a thing - I swear!) with a minor in English and a joint minor with Singapore National University in Asian Culture and Literature. When she is not editing articles for HerCampus and marveling at the amazing content her writers produce, Lisa is an executive on the Arts and Science Student's Union (ASSU) where she represents and advocates for the interests of over 24,000 students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Lisa hopes to study law after graduation, preferably somewhere warm like California because Canadian winters are ridiculous and she loves high-waisted shorts. If you see her around campus, don't be afraid to come say hi! Especially if you love Adventure Time and Harry Potter as much as she does.