Gender Equality According To Emma Watson. An Excellent Perspective

[mudwhistle]

This girl is a real treasure.

Looks like she's all grown up. I've admired her work for the last 15 years. It appears she's not doing things just to chase the same goals as the rest of Hollywood folk trying to get the best parts in movies. People tend to lose themselves in the chase. She has substance that apparently J.K. Rowling saw the moment she first saw her.

 

[mudwhistle]

 

[Seawytch]

Transcript of speech:

Today we are launching a campaign HeForShe. I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We must try to mobilize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change. We don’t just want to talk about it. We want to try and make sure it’s tangible. I was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women 6 months ago.

The more I spoke about feminism, the more I realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain 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 political, economic and social equality of the sexes.

When I was 8, I was called bossy because I wanted to direct a play we would put on for our parents. When at 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media. At 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of sports teams because they didn’t want to appear masculine. At 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings.

I decided that I was a feminist. This seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists. Apparently, [women’s expression is] seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, and anti-men, unattractive even.

Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I think it is right 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 decisions that will affect my life. 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 see these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they achieved gender equality. These rights are considered 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 that I would go less far because I might give birth to a child one day. These influences are the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it but they are the inadvertent feminists needed in the world today. We need more of those.

If you still hate the word, it is not the word that is important. It is the idea and the ambition behind it because not all women have received the same rights I have. In fact, statistically, very few have.

In 1997, Hillary Clinton made a famous speech in Beijing about women’s rights. Sadly, many of the things that she wanted to change are still true today. What struck me the most was that less than 30% of the audience were male. How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or being welcomed to participate in the conversation?

Men, I would like to give 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. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it would make them less of a man. In fact, in the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20 to 49, eclipsing road accidents, cancer and heart disease. I’ve seen men fragile and insecure by 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 they are. 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 see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who 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 that 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 parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves.

You might think: who is this Harry Potter girl? What is she doing at the UN? I’ve been asking myself the same thing. 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 responsibility to say something. Statesman Edmund Burke said all that is need for the forces of evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.

In my nervousness for this speech and in my moments of doubt, I told myself firmly: if not me, who? If not now, when? If you cast doubts when opportunity is presented to you, I hope those words will be helpful. Because the reality is if we do nothing, it will take 75 years or maybe 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 can have a secondary education.

If you believe in equality, you might be one of the inadvertent feminists I spoke of earlier and for this I appraud you. We must strive for a united world but the good news is we have a platform. It is called HeForShe. I invite you to step forward, to be seen and I ask yourself: if not me, who? If not now, when? Thank you.

 

[mdk]

She has grown into a bright, articulate, and beautiful woman.

 

[candycorn]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

 

[mudwhistle]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

 

[R.D.]

Came off kinda whiny to me

 

[mudwhistle]

Came off kinda whiny to me

*rolls eyes*
Well, she is just a girl.


No, I think it needed to be said. What better person to say it.

Ever wonder why it is said that women run the world? With women like Ms Watson around, keeping the rest of us in check, not just in words but by example, it's no small wonder at all.

 

[MaxGrit]

Good luck with getting the Muslim world to agree.

 

[candycorn]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

So can we look forward to you denouncing Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke (someone he doesn't know, doesn't know anyone who does know her, and has never met) a Slut on national radio? As you said, it's hard to start a dialog when the first word out of the man's mouth is "slut".

 

[mudwhistle]

Good luck with getting the Muslim world to agree.

Islam believes women are chattel. They are beyond reach.

Let's focus on the West first.

 

[mudwhistle]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

So can we look forward to you denouncing Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke (someone he doesn't know, doesn't know anyone who does know her, and has never met) a Slut on national radio? As you said, it's hard to start a dialog when the first word out of the man's mouth is "slut".

Sandra Fluke is hardly a good role-model.

 

[R.D.]

Came off kinda whiny to me

*rolls eyes*
Well, she is just a girl.


No, I think it needed to be said. What better person to say it.

Ever wonder why it is said that women run the world? With women like Ms Watson around, keeping the rest of us in check, not just in words but by example, it's no small wonder at all.

When anyone suggests being called bossy, or girls making a choice to quit sports (because we all know there are no adult female athletes, fitness gurus, gyms etc...) are victims there is nothing more I need to hear.

Woman who come off as man hating do so because of their behavior not because some man has suddenly claimed victimhood

 

[candycorn]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

So can we look forward to you denouncing Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke (someone he doesn't know, doesn't know anyone who does know her, and has never met) a Slut on national radio? As you said, it's hard to start a dialog when the first word out of the man's mouth is "slut".

Sandra Fluke is hardly a good role-model.

Are you saying Rush Limbaugh is?

 

[dilloduck]

Powerful women do not get that way from asking men to change. They understand that power doesn't come from men. Only weak women beg for men to give them power.

 

[mudwhistle]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

So can we look forward to you denouncing Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke (someone he doesn't know, doesn't know anyone who does know her, and has never met) a Slut on national radio? As you said, it's hard to start a dialog when the first word out of the man's mouth is "slut".

Sandra Fluke is hardly a good role-model.

Are you saying Rush Limbaugh is?

Not exactly.

A role-model to me is supposed to be positive, not negative.

 

[mudwhistle]

Emma Watson tweeted this last year on Twitter.

I hope it works.

 

[mudwhistle]

Came off kinda whiny to me

*rolls eyes*
Well, she is just a girl.


No, I think it needed to be said. What better person to say it.

Ever wonder why it is said that women run the world? With women like Ms Watson around, keeping the rest of us in check, not just in words but by example, it's no small wonder at all.

When anyone suggests being called bossy, or girls making a choice to quit sports (because we all know there are no adult female athletes, fitness gurus, gyms etc...) are victims there is nothing more I need to hear.

Woman who come off as man hating do so because of their behavior not because some man has suddenly claimed victimhood

Reminds me of the way a feminist shouted at me because I opened a door for her when I was in school. She screamed "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ME!!!!"

I said "I know."

 

[mudwhistle]

So many bad people in the world. It's nice to discover someone who has their shit together.

So many examples of folks who are what we thought were admirable but instead turn out to be not so admirable. We're given constant examples of this in the news.

 

[BluesLegend]

It always tickles me when a woman supposedly "hates" men...only the men who are the most hateful both in speech and their boyish antics are the ones that feel most betrayed.

Perhaps men who feel that women "hate" them should examine their own values.

Unfortunately in some cases they are correct. Some women feel being a feminist means hating men. I'm sure some men give them plenty of reasons to do so. But it's nearly impossible to start a dialog when you assume that the other person hates you before a single word is spoken. It tends to shade what they say one way or another in your mind.

So can we look forward to you denouncing Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke (someone he doesn't know, doesn't know anyone who does know her, and has never met) a Slut on national radio? As you said, it's hard to start a dialog when the first word out of the man's mouth is "slut".

Sandra Fluke is hardly a good role-model.

Are you saying Rush Limbaugh is?

Rush is a strong role model, probably not a good fit for a helpless government dependent liberal with wealth envy issues but otherwise yes.