Emma Watson on He(ForShe) Who Must Now Be Named

On Saturday, September 20, British actress Emma Watson co-hosted a UN Women special event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. As the new UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, Watson delivered a “spellbinding” speech (cue compulsory Harry Potter references) introducing the HeForShe campaign – a global solidarity movement calling on men and boys worldwide to support gender equality. According to a press release from UN Women on the day of the event, the campaign aims to “put men at the center of activism and dialogue to end persistent inequalities faced by women and girls around the world.” The lofty long-term goal is to end gender inequality by 2030, and in the next 12 months, the campaign hopes to mobilize one billion men and boys as advocates.

While the campaign sets a bold target, it’s about time. It takes two to tango…and two for the concept of equality to even make sense. For decades, women have fought for the laudable improvements in equality we experience today. Men, listen up – you’ve been summoned in a novel way. It’s your turn to grab the reins, and I’ll explain why.

Before starting graduate school, I lived in Nicaragua and experienced gender inequality and machismo first hand. I worked for an organization that focused on sports-based youth development for girls. Sometimes, the girls showed up to practice with bruises from home…not from practicing fútbol. Sometimes, they didn’t show up at all. If it started getting dark, it was time to go home. In its 2009-2010 “Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano para América Latina,” the UNDP found that 50% of women in Central America have been victims of violence in their adult lives. Sexual assault is real, domestic violence is real, and the insecurity that too many girls and women feel from men in their community is very much real.

Unfortunately, most violators around the world are men – certainly not all, but definitely most. Furthermore, most men are certainly not violators, but too many definitely are. The HeForShe Commitment on the campaign website asks men to click “I Agree” to the following statement:

“Gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation. I commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.”

To achieve gender equality, boys and men must know that they are expected to participate in the conversation. Awareness brings about behavior change. And, men – this is your chance to make a real difference. Commit to the campaign and hold your sons, brothers, uncles, neighbors, colleagues, friends responsible, too.

The Worrywarts

Despite an overarching approval of Watson’s speech, criticism abounds. True, the novelty of the topics of gender equality and feminism wore off decades ago, and the campaign acts as if men have never been invited to the table. But so what? The problem remains unsolved. Perhaps we could reframe our perspectives to see the previous years of valuable efforts and achievements toward reaching gender equality as the enticing appetizer whetting society’s palate for the main course.

True, the campaign fails to call men to any specific action (other than accepting the online pledge and becoming a number on a really cool, interactive map). Reflecting on my multiple trips in Latin America, many men simply need to be called upon in the first place. They need to understand that their actions are wrong and that an alternative exists before answering a call of specific steps to achieve a solution when they never saw a problem. If we share the link, we spread awareness.

Then, of course, why Herm…err, Emma Watson? Why a young, white British actress from an elite socioeconomic class? Shouldn’t UN ambassadors represent the voices of all nationalities and income brackets? This is a valid point that deserves further discussion. However, considering that the entire Harry Potter series now reaches youths and adults alike in hundreds of countries on (almost) every continent and in over 60 languages, it is highly likely that millions (men, women, boys, and girls) look up to the noble heroine of Hermione – an oddly salient point when the current and upcoming generations represent the world’s pool of social change makers.

There’s No Magic Bullet

No initiative is perfect, but if HeForShe succeeds in converting some men into advocates, I support it. If one more Nicaraguan man cheers for one of my girls when she scores a goal instead of catcalling her on the street hoping to score himself, that is progress. If one fewer woman in Central America becomes a statistic of victimization, it is worth it. If nothing else, the speech generated social media buzz and debate and yes, some fresh steps to awareness. As Watson said, “No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality.” In the meantime, all publicity is good publicity. Men – go to heforshe.org and click “I Agree.” Add yourself to the map. All of us – share, tweet and spread the word. Continue the conversation. When we join the campaign, we build the movement. 

Brittany Lane is a second-semester candidate for a M.A. in International Policy Studies with a concentration on Human Security and Development at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.