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This blog is an unedited version of the speech delivered by British Actor and UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson at the launch of the UN Women’s HeForShe Campaign on Saturday 20 September 2014, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
‘TODAY WE ARE launching a campaign called ‘HeForShe‘.
I am reaching out to you because I need your help. We want to end gender inequality—and to do that we need everyone to be involved.
This is the first campaign of its kind at the UN: we want to try and galvanise as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality. And we don’t just want to talk about it, but make sure it is tangible.
I was appointed six months ago and the more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realised that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.
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.”
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 sexualised 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 “muscly.”
When at 18 my male friends were unable to express their feelings.
I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word.
Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and unattractive.
Why is the word such an uncomfortable one?
I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But, sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality.
These rights I consider to be human rights but I am one of the lucky ones. My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn’t love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn’t assume I would go less far because I might give birth to a child one day. These influencers were the gender equality ambassadors that made who I am today. They may not know it, but they are the inadvertent feminists who are. And we need more of those. And if you still hate the word—it is not the word that is important but the idea and the ambition behind it. Because not all women have been afforded the same rights that I have. In fact, statistically, very few have been.
In 1997, Hilary Clinton made a famous speech in Beijing about women’s rights. Sadly many of the things she wanted to change are still a reality today.
But what stood out for me the most was that only 30% of her audience were male. How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?
Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too.
Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a child as much as my mother’s.
I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made 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 that they are – and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence.
If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.
Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong… 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. It’s about freedom.
I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too—reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.
You might be thinking who is this Harry Potter girl? And what is she doing up on stage at the UN. It’s a good question and, trust me, I have been asking myself the same thing. I don’t know if I am qualified to be here. All I know is that I care about this problem. And I want to make it better.
And having seen what I’ve seen—and given the chance—I feel it is my duty to say something. English statesman Edmund Burke said: “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men and women to do nothing.”
In my nervousness for this speech and in my moments of doubt I’ve told myself firmly—if not me, who? If not now, when? If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope those words might be helpful.
Because the reality is that if we do nothing it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly 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.
If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists I spoke of earlier.
And for this I applaud you.
We are struggling for a uniting word but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen to speak up, To be the he for she. And to ask yourself if not me, who, if not now when.
Thank you.’
This speech has been reproduced with the permission of UN Women.
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Feminism has become unpopular because of its extremists. I’m all for equal rights and I consider myself a feminist but some of them are out of control and don’t even want equality and just want men to be oppressed and think because they are women they are better and society owes them something. Like I said I’m all for equal rights but there’s feminism and there’s extremism and some can’t tell the difference.
People like those extremists are an embarrassment to feminists and that’s why it has a bad rep among men and some women.
People like those extremists are an embarrassment to feminists and that’s why it has a bad rep among men and some women.
Agreed I should have said I would’ve considered myself a feminist but everything it stands for has been diminished by the extremists sadly.
I mean whether the people here agree or not feminism will never have the same support it once did. If they want equal rights then like you said a new movement is needed
Pontius, Emma Watson is far from a clueless teenager.
U ok hundreds?
Damn predictive texting – that’s gonna bomb :(
I’ll just get my coat now …
Hundreds… Ha ha
For the record if you read my “ha ha” I wrote that in a joint female/male sound.
Wasn’t this the girl in the controversially photoshopped Harry Potter poster?
- Prob just an example of what she’s talking about in fairness as I’m sure she’d no power or control in that scenario at that time….
Pontius, you pious ass. You nothing about this woman . She is a woman by the way and not a child and probably has more brains in her left foot than you do in you entire cranium. What a fool you are
Well Said danny
What extremists? You’d be hard pressed to find any one who believes some if the things “extremist feminists” have been accused of in the comments here. The reality is that most feminists are like Emma Watson, people who don’t want women to have fewer opportunities than men.
Why should an entire school of thought/belief/political belief be dismissed because of ‘extremists’? Almost every such ‘ism’ could be described as having people on the fringes who might not have popular opinions or take things to an ‘extreme’.
Does that mean of all of them should be dismissed?
At its most basic, feminism is about equal rights for men and women.
Not forcing people to do things, or denying people things, or saying one gender is lesser or greater than the other.
I wouldn’t allow ‘extremists’ on the fringes to force me to dismiss something I believed in. Especially when that thing is intrinsically about equality for all.
Exactly – of you define a movement by is extremists then every one ends up tarred.
Extremism is a blight on any movement. Sure you have extreme men’s rights activists too – do they make all men campaigning for things like father’s rights look bad?
I don’t know Dylan, can you even have an extremit feminist? Is there anything extreme about wanting to achieve a world with gender equality? Can you mention some names and ideas which render them extrimist?
The problem is that for some people the sheer notion of feminism, and by corollary gender equality is extremist. As Rebecca West (a suffragist) once said, “feminism is the radical notion that women are people”.
Emma Watson raises very valid points in her speech. Gender inequality harms both sexes. I stand with her on this.
Unfortunately there are indeed “extreme feminists”, although, let’s be honest, they call themselves feminist despite their beliefs being anything but.
More accurately they would be called “misandrists”. And there is nothing feminist about their behaviour at all.
Mind you – it suits some to describe them as such. By the same token – I would imagine that all men’s rights activists would wish to distance themselves from the behaviors of those who set up the “Shame her” website. And would balk at being lumped in with a group who were clearly misogynists.
Sorry, she is nothing more than a misguided teenager. Feminism was never about equality (myth) . At its core was the oppression of men, the destruction of family families.
Edit, values not families.
I once went to a feminist picnic… was good until I realised no one had made sandwiches
Never gets old
I work for a very famous US multinational and In my direct reporting line up to the CEO there is only one man.
In the last 7 years 4 out of five Of my first line managers have been women and 4 out of 4 of my second line managers have been women.
My team is 70% male, I’m so sick of hearing that women don’t get chances. The gender pay gap is a myth so proper feminist’s time would be better served by fighting proper suppression of women in places like Afghanistan.
Gotta say I disagree.
Firstly, your direct line is extremely uncommon. Also you don’t mention whether or not there were other people (men) who were better qualified.
Also, please tell me what an hr manager in Ireland can do about the subjugation of women in Afghanistan. A global issue like this isn’t one you tackle in order of priority. Change comes about with everyone doing their bit, some of which is more impactful than others.
Yeah they are qualified but that’s not to say that there isn’t men who are also qualified.
If we had 4 male second line managers in a row we would be accused of sexism but because it’s 4 women nothing is said.
I’m not saying that sexism doesn’t need to be tackled, I’m saying that the amount of coverage it gets is ridiculous.
For example did you know male students are 50% more likely to drop out of college? Does anyone care? No!
What do you think should be done to help those men who drop out of college. Is it something systematic? What do you think the issue is there?
They need to identify who is likely to drop out early and offer them support before they just disappear out of the system. Anyone who has been to college(or school for that matter) knows the type.
I dropped out of university, it wasnt for me, I now run my own business. And it’s going well. Dropping out of college doesn’t necessarily mean anything. If people are going to sink into nothingness they’ll do it whether they have a degree or not. I think your point is invalid.
I think your point is stupid and irrelevant.
Just because you dropped out of college but are doing “well” doesn’t mean that is right that 50% more males drop out of college or most homeless people are men or that men are more at risk of dying from suicide or that men are more likely to be victims of violence.
If these stats applied to women society would have a melt down
Fair enough, but how are they supposed to do that. If there is something that discriminates against men specifically, then that should be changed, absolutely.
Yes, men are more likely to experience violence and I think something should be done about the levels of violence in our society. Same for homelessness, which breaks my heart. And there should be way more resources for people with mental illness. Do you volunteer for the Samaritans or Simon Community or anything?
I’m actually quite taken with that speech – excellently written and some great points. That said, I think the word feminism needs to go, far too much baggage with it and it’s been misused over the ages.
Men and women need to embrace their differences and, whilst I don’t believe that discrimination on the grounds of sex should ever be condoned, there also needs to be a realisation that, both halves of any couple can’t have their cake and eat it, especially where children are involved.*
*(unless they have recently purchased a certain euro millions ticket in Dublin)
Great speech – maith thú Emma Watson. I totally agree and applaud. BUT… EDMUND BURKE was Irish, not English!!!!!
Feminism is outdated, in Ireland anyway. Gender equality should be the focus.
That’s what it stands for, but not the extremists
It’s not what it stands for. Feminists hate men, infantilise women and demand special treatment in the name of equality. Its just that most of them aren’t stupid enough to be honest about it. It’s a poisonous ideology
Be careful pointing your finger.. You always have three more pointing back at you..
How ignorant and petty !!!!
Pathetic even !
Stellar contribution there Roseanne.
Yes – it’s a poisonous ideology.. The idea that women should have the right to self determination.. That people should be hired on ability rather than have their sex count for or against them (due to assumptions about their desire for a family), or heaven forbid that women got a say in what happens to their own bodies..
Yes – it’s infantilising women to wish to see them be treated as equal rather than less.
And as for accepting men who do not fit the stereotypical “male roles”, we can’t be having that!!
Down with this notion of equal rights for women and men. It’s so much better when the sexes are divided along gender lines!!
Yeah, let’s hire people for their individual abilities by imposing gender quotas
Let’s fight against gender-stereotyping by insisting that male victims of rape don’t exist, and by painting make sexuality as something to be hated and feared. Let’s insist that no state funding go toward male victims of domestic violence and banning them from our tax-payer funded shelters
Let’s promote personal autonomy by banning prostitution, lads mags and words we don’t like
Let’s fight for equality by criminalising one half of a consensual sexual coupling, by opposing the extension of parental rights to men and deriding any notions of giving them equal access to contraception. Let’s go further, by insisting that one parent ought to be able to unilaterally place a child up for adoption
Impressive collection of straw men there..
1. Gender quotas.
Needed for areas that are supposed to be representative. Such as politics, not so much anywhere else.
2. Don’t know if any actual feminists who deny that women are capable of rape or abuse, are you sure you’re not confusing feminism with misandry?
3. Don’t know of anyone actively campaigning against support services for make victims – care to share?
4. Most of the feminists I know of support women in choosing their own path – even if it’s not one they agree with, including prostitution, glamour models and porn. I and others would much prefer that prostitution be made be legal – so that it could be made safer, and hopefully eradicate human trafficking.
5. Presumably you are speaking about statutory rape, which was a law for long before feminism took hold – I think you lay blame at the wrong feet there, to the best of my knowledge that is changing.
6. Haven’t seen any feminist opposition to paternal rights or contraception either. And the laws in this area are being changed at present so you’d think if there was opposition we would hear it no? If anything all I have seen is support.
7. Once the new law dealing with paternal rights is cleared, the father will be the first person the adoption authority goes to if the child is placed for adoption, because they always go to the family first, so that won’t be an issue either.
1. So they’re “needed” in areas where feminsts have decided they are needed such as politics and the boardroom, but nowhere else like the classroom, the veterinary school or the crèche? If you want more women in politics, put yourself forward. The parties are already putting women forward at 2-3 times they out themselves forward
2. It’s a feminist article of faith that only men can rape and that men can only be raped by other men; not women. This is enshrined in law. Remember the feminist matches about equalising the law so that women could be prosecuted for rape? Neither do I.
3. Yes. Women’s Aid actively support defunding groups like Amen and diverting yet more funds to themselves. Here’s a smidgeon of their campaign of misinformation http://www.amen.ie/Papers/15248.htm
4. Right so all the feminists supporting the Turn off the Red Light Campajgn and No More Page 3 and No More Lads mags….I’ve dreamed them?
5. No. There is no longer any such offence as Statutory Rape in Irish law. I meant when two underage teenagers have sex and the boy is criminalised, or when two drunk people have sex and the man is a rapist
6. In that case you have selective vision. Get back to me when a feminist criticises women who used their children as a weapon, or accuses the state or stealing babies from their fathers a la the Magdalene laundries
7. You misunderstand the law. Firstly, a woman can simply refuse to name a father. Secondly, he need only be “consulted”.
1. They’re needed in areas which are supposed to be representative. Everything else is a personal career choice, and not required to represent the populace.
Quotas applied in the private sector are applied on an individual basis.
2. That law was written by men. And your claim that “it’s a feminist article of faith that only men can rape and that men can only be raped by other men; not women.” is bull.
Perhaps you shouldn’t presume to speak on behalf of a movement you seek to defame.
3. Nothing at that link process that “Yes. Women’s Aid actively support defunding groups like Amen and diverting yet more funds to themselves” it simply proves that they have myriad groups – all of whom have worked for decades to secure the inadequate funding they have now.
4. Turn off the red light is run by the sisters who ran the magdalene laundries, and you call them feminists! Lol..
5. Right – and have you ever tried to report a rape? What are the conviction rates like eh? Those straws must be very difficult to hold on to..
6. Actually – I have criticised and seen huge criticism of those types of women. But how many get written off as a this type when they were victims of abuse? It cuts both ways.
7. If they’re living together around conception time there’s an automatic presumption of paternity.. So theyre doing as a much as they can to resolve that – within reason. DNA tests proving paternity will obviously hold more weight now (once the bill is passed) mind you – it faces opposition for covering LGBT parents too – funnily enough – most MRAs I’ve come across oppose these rights for LGBT parents.
Shanti, still at it I see. When you can’t take it. You revert to the straw man arguement. Yawn Yawn.
It’s a good speech – in stark contrast to the raving man-hating racist who shouted at the men at the Repeal The 8th march. She was no help to the cause. I’m very much pro equal rights – a humanist – but a lot of feminists seem to be batshit crazy.
That one woman – of the four or so who spoke – was crazy.
I would suggest you learn about spotlight fallacy. You will find that the crazy ones get a lot of attention, because they will generate headlines. The majority you probably won’t hear about all that much because they aren’t foaming at the mouth and therefore just aren’t interesting enough to generate page views.
The crazy ones also get a lot of support, Shanti
Moderate feminists are a bit like moderate Muslims; very slow to criticise the supposed extremist fringe
Shanti maybe you should re-read that comment
“in stark contrast to the raving man-hating racist (singular) who shouted at the men at the Repeal The 8th march. She (singular) was no help to the cause.”
Where did Zozimus call all four of them crazy? The way I read at it he’s pointing her out as a single person who’s damaging things for the majority.
Yes – and as usual the focus is on the bad – there were far more articulate speakers and yet the nutjob is the only one anyone talks about..
That woman was booed for her sexist ramblings, she does not speak for the majority.
Silver Planet, that’s far from true. I follow many active feminists on twitter and they criticise the extremists, as do many Muslim people. Maybe you don’t see/hear when they criticise them, maybe you just don’t care, but what you said certainly isn’t true.
OK Silver Fern – that one cuts both ways – I take it there is widespread condemnation of the more extreme elements of the men’s rights movement amongst true men’s rights activists..
I haven’t seen it – but I’m sure it’s there, isn’t it?
Silver planet, doing well until you compared it moderate Muslims. Wrong, wrong and wrong. Moderate Muslims are appalled by extremists. What about KKK, are you not appalled by them. Being a Christian an all.
I am not a feminist nor am I a masculinity. I believe strongly in gender equality but cannot see how a movement which by its name identifies with women over men can be said to actually be about equal rights. If that is the case the movement should be called equalism. Maybe there should be a movement called masculinism, it will of course will be about equal rights.
The feminists really want their agenda to be taken seriously by the majority of men….then they need to just stop endlessly going on about it all the time. They might think that they’re trying to get their point across, but it’s essentially just organized nagging. It is ceaseless, never ending, one sided and annoying to the extent where we just roll our eyes and dismiss it.
And can we please stop going on about the need for men to be more sensitive. It’s not what we do. We build houses, roads, watch Robocop and talk about football. If feminism wants equality for women, then that’s fine, but trying to make men behave more like women is just dumb and insulting.
You mean like the LGBT lobby?
Not all men are like that. Perhaps you are, and that’s fine. But when you were growing up, the boy who wasn’t all “manly” like you was likely bullied for being “girly”. As if being a girl was a “bad” thing.
This “we build roads and watch robocop” idea is part of why courts tend to automatically side with the mother in custody battles – whether it truly be in the child’s best interest or not.
Maybe you are comfortable in your gender role – but please be mindful of those who may not. There’s father’s out there who want to be stay at home dads, guys who want to work in nursing, teaching or the beauty industry etc who are marginalised by the continuance of these rigid ideals.
That’s cool shanti. Whatever someone wants to do with their life is fine, but to set the record straight.
1. I am under no circumstances “manly”, but thanks for saying so.
2. We do build roads etc. Women, bar a handful, don’t and if that does impact on custody proceedings then that’s quite shocking
3. I would give my left ball to be a stay at home dad.
Shanti… I cannot wait for your reply to Stephen..
It appears I must have misunderstood you Stephen, you seemed to resent being told to be sensitive – which I agree, if you’re not you’re not and no one should be trying to force you to be. But there are those who are – and they shouldn’t have to feel like there’s anything wrong with that.
And yes, sadly this idea that men are the “breadwinners” and are so manly that they apparently “lack” the nurturing and caring elements that mothers are assumed to be more proficient in leads to bias in courts which benefits no one.
If you want to be a stay at home dad you should be able to, I support you in this (and if you don’t have kids yet, I wish you all the best in achieving that goal too!)
Stephen don’t forget, men also kill themselves more regularly than women do. But don’t worry. Us feminists will just go away and stop nagging about your equal rights to be able to express your feelings in a way thats less macho than talking about football without being called a Sissy.
@ Shanti – marry me
@ Aoife – all I’m saying is to calm it with the rhetoric. You’re doing yourselves no favours to the extent where you now need to highlight the benefits of feminism to MEN to try and make your case. If a guy tells a women how to live her life, he labelled a misogynist, if a women tells a guy…then I guess that’s for his own good.
Aoife, I could deal with women nagging of about equal rights if you would just shut up and deal with leaving the toilet seat up.
Stephen, I’ve never built a house of a road, I’ve never watched robocop, and I absolutely hate talking about football. It’s not what WE do, it’s what YOU do. Or am I just not a man?
Danny, I’ve neither built a road or even worked in construction. You do need to watch Robocop though.
Pity her research was not up to scratch…Edmund Burke was Irish.
Now we have to take seriously this privileged overpaid girl.
Dumb comment
Sorry Emma you sound like a taking feminist instruction manual.
I am also for gender equality but I could not call myself a feminist. I instead prefer humanist. I have seen the behaviour of these extreme feminists online both men & women & no way would I align myself to these professional victims & their ease at being offended.
When such a small percentage of our politicians and CEOs are women, we still have inequality. Yes, some women have babies and stop working for a while, but the percentage is too low relative to women’s educational achievements and the variety women can offer in male dominated environments.
Stephenbrowner very good comments. I think our young men are in trouble their role in society is constantly being eroded their expected to be breadwinners but also caregivers.Men and women can never be equal. Not saying that a man is better than a woman or vica versa but men are from mars and women from venus its what nature intended. Leave women be women and men be men.
Well, I’ve scarcely ever been subjected to a more ill-informed pile of clap-trap. It sickens me that this impudent youth would blather on about something she clearly knows next to nothing about. What is it that makes people think they have the right to make these grand public pronouncements about matters of historical importance they have spent a mere five minutes reading about on Wikipedia? Edmund Burke was IRISH through-and-through and to claim otherwise is a farce and a national outrage.
All that stuff she said about men and women seems fair enough though.
Watched part of her speech on youtube. What a great role model for women. She was clapped often…except not by the women with head coverings who didn’t seem to like her speech at all………tough!!
I think every woman should try feminism at least once
More of the same etc…
You have to ask, who wrote that speech for her. Clearly poorly researched as Edmund Burke is Irish not British. Women being sexualised at an early age, Boys are given guns at an early age. Which is worse?. We are all stereotyped because of our gender. That is a fact, wrong? Of course it is. But unfortunately that speech which was clearly written for her, was at the extreme end of feminism. And should not have been allowed in the first place.
”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.”
Absolute rubbish, look at nursing for an answer to that one. Teaching another one. Jobs in social welfare. Family law which is bent in favour of women. Feminists need to practice equality in these areas before they preech.
Or domestic violence, is another one, where there is almost a complete lack of support for men in both the media and support shelters.
In tennis , women getting the same prize money for playing less sets in Grand slams. Took the money, rather than playing the best of 5 , which men have to do.
have your say