UN Gender Equality Campaign Continues to Provoke Discussion

HeForShe is a campaign that promotes men and women uniting for gender equality, a topic addressed by actress Emma Watson during a Sept. 20 speech at the United Nations. The speech marked the official launch of the campaign and its effort to get male backing for the cause.

Watson, the U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, is among other celebrities who have utilized the public platform to raise awareness for global issues.

Watson’s speech was quickly picked up by several major news sources, and her vocal support has helped the campaign gain an ever-growing following.

Urbana High School alum Niknaz Iranmanesh said, “I think this campaign is absolutely necessary. There are so many stigmas surrounding feminism that the word, or any association with it, has gained such a negative connotation, causing it to automatically bring up an overwhelming feeling of dislike and discomfort among many groups of people. Why must feminism be seen as something just women can partake in? Nowhere in the definition of the term does it state that men are not allowed to fight for women’s rights.”

I felt the need to report on the subject in The Echo due to its high school student-specific readership. Gender equality is an age-old issue that has made tremendous strides and gained increased backing over the years, yet student awareness can still be helpful to the cause.

Julie Erlinger, an English teacher at UHS, said, “I think the most advancements in gender equality, or any topic for that matter, come when people have real conversations and listen to each other. It happens when people lead by example.”

High-profile public figures known by today’s younger demographic provide the spark to begin conversations and shape the future of gender equality, in the workplace and elsewhere.

“I think the biggest impact that Emma Watson’s speech has had so far is making people realize that feminism is not as negative, as dangerous, or as radical as they may have thought. It is making the common public ask themselves who a feminist really is, what traits they must have, and what causes they stand for,” Iranmanesh continued. “The biggest impact of her speech has been the ability to bring this socially awkward and uncomfortable topic to the discussion table for many people, especially here in America. We all know how powerful word of mouth can be. If her speech has made the topic one open for discussion, who knows what huge changes, ones that will better the lives of women around the world, will come of it.”