Emma Watson: new face of feminism?

This week Emma Watson spoke to the United Nations about challenges of gender equality worldwide. Watson is the Women Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations and just this week gave a speech to the United Nations in support to the new program launching know as He for She. He for She is basically a program which seeks to allow men to become more involved in problems of gender inequality and to be a positive force for women’s rights. In her speech, Watson speaks to the injustices that face both men and women because gender inequality is a reality in the world. Watson voices her concerns that feminism has become a dirty word and is only associated with women fighting against men instead of the true definition which should be men and women fighting together to root out injustice. Watson then extends her formal invitation to men to join the movement against gender inequality. The speech is excellent and I urge you all to take fifteen minutes and watch it – you will not regret it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iFl4qhBsE) .

In her speech Watson brings to light some very poignant issues about gender inequality worldwide. At one point in her speech, Watson claims that feminism is misrepresented as a whole, which leads to its unpopularity among the general public. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. As someone who is not shy about my beliefs I often get strange reactions when I tell people that I am a feminist. More polite people will ask me what feminism actually is. Less polite people will accuse me of misandry. I, like Watson, believe that we must represent feminism as what it truly is – a movement of men and women for the purpose of gender equality. Feminists do not want the rights of men taken away – they simply wish to live in a world where equality is a guarantee.

At a later point in her speech, Watson urges men to become involved in gender equality so that they may see a better world not only for their wives, mothers and daughters – but for themselves. Watson asserts that by eliminating gender inequality men won’t have to be aggressive and women won’t have to be submissive among other gender stereotypes. This part of Watson’s speech has been criticized by some for saying that it centralizes men and their well-being in a movement that began for women’s survival. I disagree with this statement. I believe that Watson offers one reason why men should not be involved in gender equality. By making the statement she did she in no way undermines the feminist movement. Gender inequality does hurt everybody in some way or another. Does it hurt all parties equally? Probably not but there is no denying the harm that it does to all people regardless of their sex.

In general, I believe that the statements Emma Watson made to the United Nations this week were a step in the right direction. I will not claim to believe that her claims were completely perfect by any means but it is ushering in a period of time where female celebrities are no longer afraid to say they are feminists for fear of retribution. Watson’s voice reaches far and wide because of her fame and I hope that her statements about feminism will be able to impact an audience who would normally not hear these concerns. I have hope for Emma Watson as the United Nations Women’s Goodwill Ambassador – I just pray she lives up to feminists’ expectations.

7 thoughts on “Emma Watson: new face of feminism?

  1. Let me begin by saying thank you for describing feminism, because so many people have no idea what it truly means to be a feminist. Being a feminist doesn’t mean you’re a man hater or that you believe women should rule the world, it’s so much more than that. I am proud to call myself a feminist and a women studies major. I take pride in being both, and I find myself always finding a feminist twist on things in my everyday life. If you’re looking for a good read, I recommend Bell Hooks’ “Feminism is For Everyone”; we’ve read some of it in my women studies class and I finished on my own. It’s amazing what feminism really is, and it makes me so angry when someone calls me a man hater or they say feminism is just woman wanting to dominate men. Emma Watson’s speech was much needed and everything was beautifully said. I really enjoyed reading this post, and you can bet that I’ll be reading every post as a proud feminist supporting a fellow feminist.

  2. Prior to reading your blog, I really did not know what the dictionary definition of feminism was. I’ll be honest, I’d never looked it up, and I always had a bad taste in my mouth whenever I heard it because I got a bad societal impression of what it meant. To me, a feminist seemed to be a commanding, rebellious woman who supported that women were, in a sense, superior to men. I got a fairly negative impression. So I appreciated reading your blog and learning that this view I’ve had was largely false. The term itself can be misleading, so I appreciate that you boldly state your position and blog about it.

  3. What makes your blog different from the other feminist blog is that you connect it to pop culture. So now you’ve reached a bigger or an even more focused audience in which you try to reach the younger population with references to the actress Emma Watson or the popular song Blurred Lines. I think that this is a great approach because now you’re analyzing something that other people can connect to even if they are not necessarily interested in the topic of feminism. I definitely do think that feminism has a certain stigma to it that makes feminists seem like extremists but I think that mostly comes from how popular it has become over the past few years. Also people seem to be uneducated about the topic. Emma Watson as a popular actress has a large audience that she can capture and I love that she uses that power to educate the public about what feminism really is.

  4. Emma Watson’s speech was on point. As a guy myself, whenever I’ve joined in conversation with my female feminist friends, I’ve felt alienated, demonized. I knew it was a messed up form of feminism, but it’s hard to get on board with something when you feel like you’re being attacked by it. But as Watson says time and time again in her speech, feminism is about gender equality, on both sides. It makes sense. Equality requires there is no lopsidedness, no misogyny and no misandry alike. Agreement is necessary. I think the He for She program will help to break down the stereotype that men cannot be feminists. It is interesting that Emma Watson was chosen as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. I’ve heard she’s done work for women’s education in other countries, but it was a bit out of the blue. However, so far, it seems like she’s doing a great job.

  5. To begin, let me just say that I’m a proud feminist myself who has absolutely not fear or shame in admitting it. Feminism for the win!

    Your observations are absolutely accurate and justifiable. Today, many people automatically assume feminism to be “man hating,” when, in actuality, feminism is meant to promote equality of the sexes. Women (and men!) want the same opportunities for work, pay, and social roles/influence as their counterparts. Feminism is so often falsely believed to include only the female chunk of society. Yet, whether people understand this or not, gender equality (or lack of) impacts both men and women. Every male out there in the world has a mother, a wife, a sister, or a daughter who influences them/is influenced by them. Would most fathers and sons want their daughters or mothers to be un-included, mistreated, or demoralized, especially because of the mere fact of their gender? Likely not! Feminism is most definitely a fight that involves and demands the support of both men and women.

    Supporters of “He for She,” you guys rock.

  6. I agree with you that feminism has been twisted around from men and women being equal to women fighting against men. I think that was a great point in her speech too when she decided to the announce He for She idea, which brings men in on the fight for women’s rights. I completely agree with this idea because fighting for women’s rights should and cannot be a women only issue, but instead it should be a societal issue. It is sad but today there are still many countries that are living in the middle ages that have not expanded the rights of women in many areas, especially in education. I think that the more the idea of fighting for equality as team rather than fighting against men is associated with feminism the stronger the movement will become.

  7. I agree that the statements made by Emma Watson in her speech were a step in the right direction; it’s fantastic that it got people talking about feminism. Because her speech went viral she is, in a sense, mobilizing us all in the fight for gender equality.

    But I also agree with the critics saying the latter half of her speech centralized men in a movement that they’re not supposed to be the focus of. Yes, they are also affected by gender inequality, but not anywhere near the extent to which women are. I definitely understand where the people making this argument are coming from.

    Ultimately, though, I think Emma Watson’s speech was great. It had its flaws, but the most important thing is that a real effort is being made. The fight against gender inequality is gaining momentum and her speech just contributed to that even more— people are talking about it, thinking about it, and hopefully learning new things about feminism and gender inequality.

    It’s also great that someone so revered as her has identified herself as a feminist, for all to see. So many uneducated female celebrities denounce the movement because they don’t know what it is. It’s refreshing to see someone like her make such a speech, let alone call herself a feminist. People will always have their criticisms, and that’s okay, but overall this is a great thing that’s happened.

Leave a Reply