After helping defeat Evil Lord Voldemort, Emma Watson–an exceptional Muggle–joined the critical worldwide fight for equal gender rights, and not a moment too soon.
Emma Watson, best know as Harry Potter’s best gal pal Hermione Granger, has come a long way from Hogwarts and fighting “he-who-must-not-be named” and his dark forces.
She graduated from Brown University, was named U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, and gave an impassionate speech on feminism and equality of the sexes at the U.N. Headquarters in New York this weekend to launch the “HeForShe”campaign, which aims to galvanize one billion men and boys as advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally.
In a welcome call for equality, and for taking the “men hating” reputation and stigma out of feminism, Watson spoke against the recent Women Against Feminism campaign, and indicated that we (men and women) must abolish the “us vs. them” mentality and work together, as partners, to bring about the gender equality that will benefit both sexes and society as a whole.
In speaking about the fact that equality of rights and opportunities for both women and girls (and men and boys), is an appropriate, long overdue and critical issue for more men to be involved in, she said:
“I want men to take up this mantle so their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too,and in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves… I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man …. I’ve seen men fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either. We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are.”
Equality is a human rights issue and applies to all. It does not only apply to rights and opportunities, but also to responsibilities and obligations. Men and women are different, but they are of equal value as human beings and should be treated as such and live in a world where what gender you are (as well as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and physical and mental abilities), should not change or diminish your inherent value as a person.
Photo: UN Women /Flicker Video: Leonardo Ogioni /YouTube Photo2: revision3 /Flicker
Interesting change of tack. We’ll see if there is any follow through because it will take more than one speech to make amends with the problem gender.
“Gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation. I commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.”
The web site devoted for participation in the campaign has the above vision statement. It’s an odd incongruity when put side by side with her speech, the reality of violence, and the vision statement itself.
I don’t understand how in 2014 we women are still the equivalent of the cute baby seals of the animal rights movement.
It appears that obamacare provides procedures for women for Sterilization procedures but NOT for men.
Why don’t you start a movement to provide for men to have a vasectomy or castration?
It would greatly aid to reduce the cost of procedures and perhaps make them more socially accepted.
look under healthcare.gov and search for vasectomy.
What she did was shine a light on a serious and important issue and bring it to a whole,new generation of people. We should applaud her efforts and join in the HeForShe campaign, designed on getting both genders involved to bring about positive change and benefits for both genders and society as a whole, instead of picking apart her speech, which was thoughtful, inspiring and great.
How exactly are we helping both genders by focusing only on the issues of one?
Im dissapointed by her speech, honestly I was expecting better. I copy and past my YT comment, simply because I dont have time to write another comment here, so this one will be short. her talk is utter banality and frankly nothing not heard before. Im not questioning her good intentions, but the reason feminism has become a bad word is because of feminist doing poor feminism. Go to TUMBLR or Twitter, visit Jezebel or Feministing…and many other. Anybody non feminist exposed to these places with few exceptions accept the notion that they are manhating. The reasons? poor rethoric sloppy… Read more »
I am not certain if you’re deliberately missing the point, or trying to derail, dismiss and minimize a legitimate request for support. Asking men to help is asking you (as males) to engage with us and work together for a COMMON GOOD. We ask you to join with us because we believe you are human beings too, and want to see this wold be a safer, better place for everyone…and we need you to be our partners in this. Men live in this world too-and my brand of feminism says that we’re meant to have a symbiotic relationship socially, politically,… Read more »
I sincerely dont know what you are talking about, nobody is dismissing or ridiculing anything. So im sorry that this is what you got from my post, but perhaps you are just trolling, this may explain your vague intervention.
A pretty good speech I would say. “Feminism… has too often become synonymous with man hating”, “These rights are considered to be human rights”, “Men don’t have the benefits of equality either”, “We are struggling for a uniting word”.
Perhaps, instead of the gender laden term “Feminism”, men and women could happily unite in favour of “Humanism”? Perhaps, instead of “HeForShe”, this UN platform could be called “MeForWe”?
I find it incredibly depressing that Ms. Watson is being targeted by the same-or very similar-group of hackers (data thieves) responsible for the ‘fappening’ and threatened with an attempt at public humiliation because she made this speech.
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/228407/4chan-threatens-emma-watson-with-nude-photo-leak-over-un-speech-on-gender-equality/
Emma Watson was not targeted, that was a hoax
http://www.businessinsider.com/emma-watson-naked-photo-countdown-hoax-2014-9
I have to admit that I saw that she had given a speech on feminism, but was uninterested. Of course, I saw the post from Upworthy on Facebook: I find them and Think Progress to cater to angry feminism. (They probably left this part out of the video). I was never much of a fan before, but now I’m a big fan of hers as a person.