About a month ago, Emma Watson, United Nations Women's Goodwill Ambassador, delivered a speech in front of the Secretary General, President of the General assembly, and many other distinguished guests. In her speech, the brilliant and talented actress addressed the issue of gender inequality worldwide and the stigma surrounding the term "feminist." The speech launched the UN's new campaign, titled "HeForShe," which invites men and boys across the globe to stand up in support of gender equality, not only for the women in their lives, but also for themselves.
This UN campaign is the very first of its kind, and received plenty of media attention in the days following Watson's speech. However, as someone who is passionate about human rights -- which is exactly what the movement for gender equality is about -- my fear is that this speech, and everything it addressed, will soon be forgotten. Sure, everyone was excited to hear the beloved Harry Potter actress give such a powerful speech at the UN, but are people still thinking about the messages in Watson's speech a month later? Even though the media has moved on to covering issues that demand and deserve all the coverage they are receiving, it is still important that the world does not forget the messages in Watson's speech. Below are excerpts.
To everyone who mistakenly thinks feminism is about man-hating:
"For the record, feminism by definition is: 'The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes."
To anyone who thinks gender inequality is no longer an issue:
"I started questioning gender-based assumptions when at eight I was confused at being called “bossy” because I wanted to direct the plays we would put on for our parents—but the boys were not. When, at 14, I started being sexualized by certain elements of the press. When, at 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of their sports teams because they didn’t want to appear 'musclely.' When, at 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings."
To anyone who still thinks gender inequality is no longer an issue:
"No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality."
Watson even includes some statistics:
"Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly a 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the next 16 years as children. And at current rates, it won’t be until 2086 before all rural African girls will be able to receive a secondary education."
"Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong."
"If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists."
If you're a man who believes that the woman sitting next to you in class should one day be paid the same as her male counterparts for doing the same work, you might be a feminist. If you believe that girls all over the world should have the right to receive an education, you might be a feminist. If you believe in the principles this country was founded on, you might be a feminist. However, whether or not you choose to identify as a feminist isn't really important. What's important is that you stand up against gender inequality.
As members of the Greek community we hold values such as leadership, scholarship, sisterhood/brotherhood, service, and loyalty close to our hearts. We should stand up as leaders and work to end gender inequality. We should fight for the right of everyone to receive education like that which we are so fortunate to have received, and we should always, always support each other.
To take a stand against gender inequality that affects all of us, men and women, check out http://www.heforshe.org.
Quotes provided by www.unwomen.org.
