Ashlee Rawlings

Andrea Malouf
ENGL 2760-002
10/14/2014
Gender Equality

Emma Watson, the U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and widely know Harry
Potter actress, delivered a speech in regards to gender equality and feminism on
September 20, 2014. Watson introduced one of societies most trending topics, the "He
For She campaign. He For She is a campaign that strives for gender equality and
feminism by acknowledging the important role of the male gender, asking them to stand
by women and take action against inequality, discrimination and violence. Watson also
addressed the modern stereotypes that have redefined the core values of feminism,
negatively impacting womens efforts. Gender equality is not only a womens issue, it
is a human rights issue (heforshe.org) Women must be mindful of the ways in which
men battle masculinity stereotypes and harassment. In order to move forward in gender
equality, women need to stand by and represent the true definition of feminism as well as
acknowledge the importance of support from male counterparts.
Feminism is the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.
(Marriam Webster) Unfortunately, feminism has been redefined by society. Watson says,
Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong,
too aggressive, isolation, anti-men and, unattractive. (Watson) Many women dont want
to associate themselves with such a label. Pop music star Taylor Swift and Yahoo CEO

Marissa Meyer, to cite two famous examples, asserted that theyre pro-equality, but
wont identify as feminists. (Brougher) The feminist stereotype has changed but the
desire for equal rights has not. The courageous and monumental efforts of feminist
women in history have brought us from being a mere accessory to our male counterparts,
to becoming a citizen who may own land, vote on behalf of our own political preferences,
hold important positions in congress and gain seniority in the work place. Unfortunately,
the shackles of oppression still bind women to discrimination and unequal standards
today. There continues to be a pay gap between men and women, In 2013, among fulltime, year-round workers, women were paid 78 percent of what men were paid. (Hill)
Domestic violence, harassment and rape are a growing problem, Around 120 million
girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other
forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. (unwomen.org) Statistics continue to prove
that gender equality is the reality of today; perhaps it is time for men and women to unite
their forces towards change.
On the He For She campaign website it reads, Now its time to unify our efforts.
HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of
humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all. (Heforeshe.org)
The website invites men to sign a commitment promising to take action against women
discrimination and join the solidarity movement. So far 181,268 men in the world have
made the commitment. Not only are men making a commitment on behalf of women, but
gender stereotyping as a whole. Watson explains the gender inequality that men face in
society saying, Ive seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what
constitutes male success. Men dont have the benefits of equality either. (Watson) The

male stereotype includes masculinity, strong, powerful and fearless. What feminists
rarely acknowledge is the pressure that men are under to confine to their gender role.
There is a significant difference in the suicide rates between men and women, of those
who died by suicide in 2011, 78.5% were male and 21.5% were female. (Facts and
Figures) It is arguable that men are repressed from discussing their emotions, insecurities
or sexual orientation in fear of being harassed for what their gender role deems as
weakness.
While Emma Watsons speech and the HeForShe campaign instantly received
positive feedback on all corners of the map, it also got a fair share of negative criticism.
People claimed that the title He For She makes it seems as though women are asking
for men to save them, destroying the purpose of feminist efforts while others expressed
gratitude towards the campaign for making it known that they dont hate men- but value
and appreciate them. Some argue that Watsons speech is one dimensional, she does not
go beyond the middle class, straight, white audience. Watsons speech does not include
women of different races or sexual orientations, women who may need feminism the
most. However, it is undeniable that it takes courage to speak up on behalf of feminism in
society today. Two days after Emmas speech, someone threated to leak nude photos of
the actress. Although there were no nude photos and it was primarily just a threat, many
wonder if threats and a downpour of criticism would be the same result if it were a male
that delivered the speech.
The 21stcentury has brought technological advancements, scientific discoveries
and great heights in the medical field; however, it has yet to see the face of gender
equality. Gender equality is being able to look around a room full of men and women and

know that you all have equal rights and an equal opportunity to succeed. There are not
traditional gender roles, gender-specific stereotypes, or wage gaps between men and
women in an equal society. Gender equality does not exist in any country in the world.
As efforts to achieve equality continue, feminists and activists continue to search for a
resolution to the conflict in societies inability to accept the change. It is important to
understand that gender inequality is an issue for men and women. If men stand beside
women in the fight towards equal rights, there will be more people in support of this
movement.

Works Cited

Brougher, John. "I'm a Male Feminist. No, Seriously." CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Jan. 1970. Web. 15
Oct. 2014.

Hill, Catherine. "The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2014)." AAUW: Empowering Women
Since 1881. AAUW, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

"Home - HeForShe." HeForShe. UN Women, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

"Facts and Figures." American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

"Facts and Figures: Ending Violence against Women." HeadQuarters. UN Women. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

"Feminism." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

Watson, Emma. "Emma Watson: Gender Equality Is Your Issue Too." HeadQuarters. UN Women, 20
Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.