HeForShe Campaign: A Presentation on Emma Watson's Speech

This is a short presentation covering themes like feminism, gender equality, male stereotypes, and the HeForShe campaign, with data points and quotes from thinkers and politicians (the latter ones being unusually to the point sometimes). It is an attempt to answer questions, likes of which are considered uncomfortable: how feminism as an idea is misinterpreted, is feminism equal to manhating, what 'she' deserves and why the feminism movement needs active male participation to truly become a success. The unifying thread for all the above topics, themes and questions is, of course, Emma Watson's Speech for the HeForShe campaign.

1. 1 ANALYSIS OF THE SPEECH - GENDER EQUALITY IS YOUR ISSUE TOO: EMMA WATSON

2. HE FOR SHE CAMPAIGN HeForShe , led by the U.N.'s Elizabeth Nyamayaro and under the direction of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka , is a program dedicated to improving the status of women and inviting men and boys around the world to stand in solidarity with women and girls as they make that make gender equality a reality. On Sep. 20, 2014, British actor and Goodwill Ambassador for U.N. Women Emma Watson gave a smart, important, and moving speech about gender inequality and how to fight it. In doing so, she launched the HeForShe initiative. “We want to end gender inequality—and to do that we need everyone to be involved.”

3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 5 : GENDER EQUALITY Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. There has been progress over the last decades, but the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. The social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation even bleaker. Women and girls remain disproportionately affected, struggling with lost jobs and livelihoods, derailed education, increased burdens of unpaid care work and domestic violence. Progress in many areas, including time spent on unpaid care and domestic work, decision-making regarding sexual and reproductive health, and gender- responsive budgeting, is falling behind.

4. What is Feminism? Watson in the beginning of the speech introduces the listener to the definition of the feminism: “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. However, the concept is being widely misinterpreted as anti-male. Feminism does not favor one side of the story, but it advocates equality in every sense for both the sexes. Why is the word such an uncomfortable one?

5. FEMINISM = MAN - HATING

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7. 9 GENDER EQUALITY : A MAN’S ISSUE TOO Bias and stereotypes impact us all: Men, just like women, are constricted by stereotypes and penalized if they act outside their traditional gender roles. More than one-third of boys think society expects them to be strong and tough, “be a man,” and “suck it up”. Some gender stereotypes can hold both men and women back from being the best that they can be—and impact our mental health.

8. HEFORSHE IS ABOUT…… FREEDOM It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two opposing sets of ideals . If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are—we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. Both men and women should feel free – To be sensitive To be strong To be vulnerable To feel To express To be themselves………. and so on…………

9. CONCLUSION Today, humans have achieved a lot. Both physically and financially. But what about socially? Its shameful to see how society still clings to archaism, to rituals made to divide. Time demands that all of us wield the sword of feminism and cut through the devil of gender inequality. In the year 1995, when Hillary Clinton gave an address upon linking women’s rights with human rights, there were only 30% men in person at the venue. How can we bring a revolution when half of the world feels uninvited and unwelcome to join the conversation? Emma emphasizes on the fact that gender equality is an issue for men too, saying – “ I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen to speak up, to be the "he" for "she". ”

10. IF NOT ME, WHO ? IF NOT NOW,WHEN ?