Emma Watson’s UN gender equality campaign is an invitation to men, too
|
Version 0 of 1. Emma Watson launched the HeForShe campaign at the UN last week and extended a “formal invitation” to men to participate in the conversation about gender equality. “Gender equality is your issue too,” said the actor and UN Women goodwill ambassador. Watson’s speech struck a chord with many and fanned the feminist fire that is, slowly but surely, being reignited. The reason Watson invited men to join the conversation was that gender stereotypes also limit them. “Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong,” she said. But while gender stereotypes can be suffocating to men too, it is women, girls and transgender people who face the lion’s share of boundaries and limitations. Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that men and women have the same stake in this drive for progress. Men wield power over women. That is the crux. And we should not ignore other dimensions: white wields power over black. Straight wields power over queer. Rich wields power over poor. Feminism is about addressing the power imbalances that limit people’s opportunities to live their lives to the fullest. We need men to join the feminist pursuit of social justice because it is the right thing to do. It is a matter of human rights, not of enlightened self-interest. At the end of her speech, Watson announced a “uniting movement”, UN Women’s HeForShe campaign. The initiative essentially involves a petition that men are invited to sign, committing themselves to “take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls”. However, a movement is more than a petition. A movement is made up of people who work tirelessly to change the circumstances of their own lives as well as those of the people around them, generation after generation. The feminist movement could do with a little “uniting”, but that challenge comes with the territory when you take on power in all its manifestations. Feminist activists are as diverse as the obstacles with which they grapple. A uniting movement is not worth much if it glosses over those complexities. Besides committed people, any attempt at changing the status quo also requires ideas on how to do so beyond a viral video and a petition. Fortunately, there are people who have decades of experience in taking action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls. They are women, girls and trans people who have been the beating heart of the feminist movement – feminist activists such as the judges and lawyers in Afghanistan who are providing women with access to legal advice and representation (Justice For All Organisation); the young domestic workers who fight exploitation and abuse in Tanzania (WoteSawa); sex workers in Thailand who show us that they deserve to be respected rather than “saved” (Empower); women in Serbia who challenge restrictive ideas about women with disabilities through art and performance (Iz Kruga Vojvodina). These feminist activists and many thousands like them have together been leading the way for a more equal and just society for a long time. They know what strategies work and what is needed to make further progress. That is what a movement looks like. To all those who were inspired by Watson’s speech, men and women alike, I would like to say welcome to the conversation. We’re thrilled to have you on board. As a first step, you’re invited to listen to, and learn from, the scores of inspiring activists who make up the feminist movement. I’m sure that before long you will have lots of ideas about how you can make your pledge to “take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls” a tangible reality. • Emma Herman is senior officer for communications and outreach at Mama Cash |