Here are some photos of Emma Watson at the United Nations in NYC on Saturday night. Emma was recently appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women, formerly UNIFEM. Emma just took her first trip on behalf of UN Women – she went to Uruguay to highlight women’s participation in political processes, from voter turnout to actually electing women to public office. In NYC, she helped launch a new UN initiative called HeForShe, a program aiming to include more men as “allies” in gender equality. You can read her full speech here, and here are some highlights from the 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 for our parents. At 15, my girlfriends didn’t want to join 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, anti-men, unattractive.
Why has the word become such an unpopular one? I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that 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.
How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited to participate in the conversation? Men, I would like to give this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. To date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society. I’ve seen young men suffering from illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man. I’ve seen men fragile and insecure by what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either.
Emma goes on to say that the conversation about feminism and equality should not simply be a female-driven, female-only conversation and that men need to be invited to participate as well. It’s a very well-written speech and it does a good a job of being mature and serious, but also accessible to the younger girls who are already Emma’s fans. I’m very happy that Emma has taken this goodwill ambassador position and this new initiative sounds great. Good for Emma!
PS… Her coat-dress is Dior. This is the best look I’ve seen from Dior in YEARS.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Emma’s growing into such a beautiful woman inside and out. She puts other stars and starlets to shame.
Such a graceful young lady
I’m actually not a big fan of her acting but outside of acting she shows an intellect and Wit that puts her peers to shame. I really admire what she’s doing here, good on her!
Emma’s speech was EPIC! I skipped over this article at first because I did not realize she is spearheading the first United Nations initiative to improve conditions for women around the globe. This is a MAJOR DEAL and she handled herself impeccably. I am beyond impressed!
Angelina 2.0?
Maybe Shaylean Woodshed can stop sunning her vag, and get some pointers from her.
*snickers*
I’ve always admired the girl but I don’t believe actors are experts on anything.
…you don’t need to be an expert to make a difference. If it takes an actress with a large fan base to draw attention to an issue, and invite people to look at things differently, I’m all for it – especially when the actress in question is approaching the issue with intelligence and open mindedness.
I especially liked that her view point is geared towards equality of BOTH sexes in ALL areas. Personally, as a mother, it hurts me to see my 6 year old son told that boys don’t cry, as though crying will somehow lessen him… From a broader perspective, think of all the Vets coming home that will struggle to find help readjusting to civilian life, because society dictates that ‘real men’ don’t show emotion, etc.
Feminism shouldn’t be a hate war. I like that Emma is calling on male counterparts to further this agenda, cause this should matter to everyone!!
As if we needed a reason to love Emma Watson even more. Her speech was eloquent and on point.
Very young women really need to hear this and Emma is so eloquent in this speech. You go girl!
Indeed. Good for her and good for all of us ladies. She makes a great ambassador. Very well done!
Hear, hear!
I agree. She is awesome and her speech was wonderful.
Halle-freakin-lujah, a starlet who gets it. I care not why she does it, just that she’s doing it.
This is just great! I am happy that she is obviously smart and knows to exert her influence in a topic as important such as this. I hope she continues!
I want to be proud of her and her speech but I find her so fake that to me this is a PR move.
I am not a huge fan of her myself, but her speech was good and spot on.
Let’s put it this way: even if it is a ‘PR move’, it’s so much better than tweeting pictures of your ass for attention, or calling the paps while you take a stroll in absurd clothing, it’s still progress, and valuable in the message, in spite of whatever the motivation is.
Exactly. Who cares what her motivations are, she’s speaking about something very important here.
+1
if to get publicity means that some starlet and starlette have to sit down and learn the proper meaning of feminism, i think it’s not the worst thing in the world.
+1000
I’m by no means her biggest fan, but this is a really wonderful campaign. If a high profile figure with a large fan base decides to draw attention to it, even with the motivation of publicity, then so be it.
For what it’s worth, I actually do believe she’s motivated to this cause. Her speech was very impressive, and I love that she formally invited men to be part of the campaign and feminism. Gender inequality affects us all.
And I’d really like one of those HeForShe pins.
Agree. Hooray for her for thinking it through and getting it right. I was starting to give up on her generation a little bit. This is good.
I agree. Plus she’s a public figure who got asked to be an ambassador. Might as well use her power to sway the public. She’s doing a great job with her appointment.
Exactly. Let’s not forget that she actually needs to be involved. I liked her speech a lot; mostly because it sounded like she took some time to research and was well prepared. I loved hearing that little nervousness in her voice knowing who she is speaking to. Thought everything was lovely and so unpretentious. And if that is PR; I can only say I wish more of celebrities did it like that.
Great point. Even if it is more contrived than it seems then at least it’s an intelligent and articulate thing she’s doing.
I am FINE with it being a PR move…because this is an issue that needs more publicity! There have been too many people spreading a misunderstanding of feminism, so there is nothing wrong when an educated perspective is presented, in fact it is needed.
Exactly. It’s just refreshing to see a young celebrity not shy away from feminism on top of the fact that she doesn’t tweet her twat constantly.
When actors, entertainers do charity in public it usually comes with a publicity, but that’s just part of the job that turns them into public figures.
I’d rather see her use her PR for good, instead of tweeting selfies of her body parts for PR. So few young actors are turning out well adjusted and willing to support good causes. I don’t think it’s fake to do so. It takes time and effort and PR. Compare that to what La Lohan is doing, and the PR she’s getting just by being cracked out.
BW – your remarks are so funny! and true!
It’s probably a combination, isn’t it? But I agree with Kiddo – this is a valuable message.
Put into context with the current brouhaha over the iCloud hacking and also conversations I’ve been having elsewhere about catcalling, you have to say that there’s a problem with some attitudes and some behaviours coming from straight men. And it seems to me that rather than casting this as a confrontation, it would be much better to cast it in terms of solidarity. Let’s draw the men into a circle of – oh, I don’t know, what’s the right word? Virtue? Righteousness? Men should be invited to be feminists, too. And feminists should feel solidarity with men under pressure to be macho when they don’t want to. So I like the line Emma is taking here.
I just listened to the speech and was very impressed by her delivery and the content, There was clarity in what the campaign stood for. I was especially glad she brought up the mental heath issues re men which although focussed on the under 50’s may be similar in older men, Coroners especially where the elderly are concerned are reluctant to confirm suicide without substantial evidence and the lines between accidental overdose and suicide can be blurred.
I do think women have the harder time when they speak out but men who are willing to be perceived as different also get labelled with negative comments.
Mind you I would d go one step further and say you cannot have gender equality without social inclusion across the board and that includes disability and poverty.
I’m inclined to agree with your one step, icerose. I think it should be about solidarity of identities, not each identity (read: minority) fighting its own separate battle.
Sixer, I believe that the right word is *human rights*. This concept is more inclusive and genuine, because as everyone’s rights are involved, when feminism is examined in depth.
So many female stars jump on the I’m not a Feminist train either because they really mean it or because they are scared to lose (male) fans that I’m really glad to hear one support it.
There seem to be many post about strong woman standing up for their rights today and I love it.
Can you say you’re a feminist if you are against abortion (not just against it for your self)
dolce crema – unless women have the full rights to their body the same as men do, I don’t think you’re pushing for full equality. Your personal choices are just that – personal – and to push them onto other women isn’t respecting their rights as people.
So no, I don’t think you can say you’re a feminist if you don’t truly believe we are equal to men in this area. I’m sure you have many other views that can be considered feminist, though.
I’m a feminist. I’m also pro-life except in cases of rape or incest. I said it!
The whole point of a UN Goodwill ambassador is PR. The job is to bring attention to the issue and the UN recruits celebrities for that express purpose. Emma seems to be taking her role quite seriously and seems committed to doing it well. Good for her! And it is comforting and refreshing when a young celebrity gets what “feminism” means.
Thank you, I was going to say exactly what you did.
Exactly. Finally someone who gets it. It being a PR move (for the reasons stated above) doesn’t detract in any way what she is saying.
If you watch the speech it’s very obvious that it’s a really big deal to her.
Why would it be a bad thing if it were a PR move? Don’t we all want to be known for things that we think are admirable? Are you faulting her for not being completely altruistic in her motivations?
If she wants her PR move to be, “I am standing proudly for women’s rights,” I will take it. I will take it over the T. Swifts* and Shailene Woodsleys of the world disseminating their misinformed anti-feminism rhetoric telling young girls they don’t need feminism while they sit around in their multi-million dollar mansions completely removed from the reality that the rest of us have to grow up and deal with. I will take it ANY day.
*I am aware that she has recanted her statements on feminism recently, but that doesn’t completely repair the damage of having said it in the first place in a mass media publication.
Everytime I hear of an actor doing something other than acting or something social media related another screams PR driven move.
Are these people only allowed to work and be shallow? Can they never have an outside interests that also gets attention without it being a calculated move for personal gain? Yes, some people dip into the latest charity trend. It’s very obvious though. It’s brief and they never speak of it again. Emma has been on this track for some time though and seems well educated on it.
PR move or not she’s speaking out and doing it well.
To her style. She’s always showing great fashion. Even if it’s odd, but only she can pull it off. I bet this dress/styling wasn’t all Dior. Emma had input.
Thank you!
I’m glad someone finally mentioned it.
I have such a girl crush on her. SHE is a role model, not someone like Taylor Swift.
WORD
Nice speech, and kudos to her for taking this task.
I am happy to see a young actress who doesn’t go for the trainwreck route.
Great point and a good starting point for a discussion about feminism.
Her dress is fantastic – so flattering and lady-like. She’s a class act.
I agree with all of what she said, but didn’t the whole man-hating, bra-burning feminist stereotype die about 30 years ago? (wishful thinking?)
Nope. Sadly, it is still alive and well.
Just Google “Women Against Feminism” and you’ll see…..
wow….that is really, really depressing and INCREDIBLY frustrating. And makes me feel guilty for living in a bubble in a progressive CA city and being so unaware. So … good for Emma for speaking out.
Don’t worry.
Cats against Feminism will cheer you up; http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/meowsplaining#evnuwb
(It’s a spoof Tumblr in response to Women Against Feminism).
Ha ha, Amelia! That is awesome!
Lol at the cats against feminism.
oh my god. I hope those women inform themselves soon, and if not…*very mean thoughts, better not share them, hate those silly women*
Amelia beat me to it.
Unfortunately wishful thinking.
So many people go out of their way to assure they aren’t feminist and many of those who call themselves Feminists make sure to add that the love men and/or fashion and aren’t the bra-burning type.
@Birdix, if it did, somebody needs to tell Shaleine Woodley.
Birdix
(Brava Emma…she has all my admiration, what a great role model. Wonderful woman.)
About the hairy-legged stereotype:
You’d think that phantom was long ago and out of mind now….but it has resurfaced most visibly in (some of) the 20-somethings of today. My own angry feeling is that these young women dismiss their clueless notion of feminism for purely “boy toy” reasons…..as
being desired is their main goal in life. (And why not, if you honour your own self, and are not scared of independence, by tales of scaring away males).
I believe this is a hugely important battle for contemporary feminism: that of reclaiming the ground lost through the saturation of our culture with ideals of unfettered, on-demand sexual expression as our most respected accomplishment. Young girls read this as empowerment but tis (imo) revamped voluntary submission, overall. Thus we get Rosie Huntingdon Whitely twittering prettily about being a ‘tiny bit feminist’ by modelling underwear….she calls this empowering other women. But she ‘doesn’t wish to be associated with feminism really’, because she loves her boyfriend. Jaysus. This ‘don’t risk feminism….you’ll never get a man” is very effective if you catch them young……and it’s clever enough to be a willed part of the multifaceted assault on our freedoms that we face every day, in spite of our legal rights. There remain many other ways to hobble us, and they are brilliantly disguised as opportunities. I think these stumbling blocks are the new face of the old enemy: the patriarchy, as ever was. And anyone who can count to elenbty can tell the difference between that nebulous notion, and the 40 year old, barely breathing ‘man-hating separatist’ phantasm.
And I’ll shut up and run away now….sorry, this gets me all Millie Tant and incoherently ranty, whereas it should be about the brilliant and inspiring Emma Watson.
Brava! Chris2, I see this continual assault on our senses as well, and agree with you, that this is perhaps the biggest line of sh*t that young women face. We are saturated by sexuality “brilliantly disguised” to “hobble us”. Brava!
“reclaiming the ground lost through the saturation of our culture with ideals of unfettered, on-demand sexual expression as our most respected accomplishment. Young girls read this as empowerment but tis (imo) revamped voluntary submission, overall.”
So agreed,
On that depressing site “womn against feminism”, amongst the sad and disturbing there were some good points. From the discussions on this site, I would say a lot of women commenting on celebitchy would categorize themselves as progressive liberal feminists however that often turns into really lopsided conversations about men when topics like domestic violence or rape are discussed, you’d think every man is a devious monster and it really, really irritates me. To paint a whole gender that way is repulsive and just as bad as when to most rappers every woman is a hoe. Or when there’s some pop star or the other who dresses like a 2 bit slut (even a common hooker would give her the side eye) and the conversations devolve into accusations of “slut shaming”
Seriously? Is that a thing now? So having zero morals and self respect is something to aspire to and defend now? It’s somehow fallen into this bizarre divide where any opinion other than “do as you will but no consequences should come to you” is branded as sexist patriarchal conservatism. why don’t people realize these are the 2 extremes in a spectrum and in between there are infinite nuances?
No wonder so many women do not identify with that kind of “feminism” , the one that takes no responsibility for ones actions and constantly blames others for the consequences of poor choices. The one that says it’s ok to have blanket statements about men but not about women. The one painting, men, “the man” , “society” as evil patriarchal monsters.
The words empowered and feminism like hero have been misappropriated and gravely devalued. Is the right to dress like a slut something one really wants to be fighting for? When Niki Minaj does p0rn poses who is that supposed to “empower”?
I applaud Emma on her very well written and balanced (imo) point of view.
“Or when there’s some pop star or the other who dresses like a 2 bit slut (even a common hooker would give her the side eye) and the conversations devolve into accusations of “slut shaming””
Well yeah. Who cares what she wears?! You’re conflating the issue above with what Chris2 said inaccurately. Women should be able to wear what they want without it being a value judgment on her character. Clothes don’t equal whether or not someone can be considered a moral or good person. Chris2 is talking about women feeling they need to constantly be ‘sexy’ and ‘desirable’ in order to be considered accomplished, however, which is a very different issue.
@Chris – “brilliantly disguised as opportunities” – I think I just fell in lurve with you.
The far right started the man-hate as soon as they saw a few lesbians in the feminism camp. Don’t know why that is, but they are the same group that thinks that giving rights to women, minorities and gays mean taking rights away from them. That is how maths work, right? LOL Their mind can’t seem to grasp the concept of inclusion.
I’m so happy to see a young woman shining a light on what feminism really means. My lefty heart is bursting with pride. Perhaps the fight wasn’t in vain? Way to go Emma!
Emma is awesome. I really glad that she is speaking out in support of feminism. After reading about so many other celebs her age bash feminism because they don’t understand what it actually is, it is refreshing to see someone get it right.
Ugh. Why does it have to be a PR move? Do we question everybody that is a Goodwill Ambassador? You want to discuss someone doing something for PR, go to a Kardashian post.
I don’t know but after the last article about Viola Davis and this nice one about Emma Watson I’m annoyed there is already a snarky comment. Have a nice day ladies and gentlemen.
Sorry this was in reply to Taby above. I didn’t click reply.
I think she would ce a better Dior-match than Jlaw (who needs to be with something like CK).
AGREED.
I said in the Jessica Chastain post that JLaw does better in simpler clothes. Emma looks flawless in that Dior dress (I originally thought it was Burberry!), and she can wear pretty much anything. She’s someone I think of as a “coat hanger”, in that you put anything on her and she will show it off to advantage. JLaw, on the other hand, really doesn’t have the personality to pull off some high fashion looks. I don’t mean that to slag her off, I love JLaw, but though she’s tall and leggy, ideal for fashion, she clearly gets annoyed with big poofy dresses and has never been a comfortable fit with Dior. I’d love to see her spend a couple years modeling CK, though. That red Oscar dress remains one of her best fashion moments.
I agree. Emma would represent Dior far better than JLaw. I wish Emma were the face of Miss Dior. Natalie Portman is another actress who doesn’t look good in Dior.
I thought she was one of their representatives? Maybe just closely affiliated to the brand. I agree that whatever the reason – J. Law’s own bad taste or Dior not knowing how to dress a woman bigger than a size 0/2 – it’s not a good fit. Somebody suggested Calvin Klein for her, and I think that would be an excellent fit.
CK or Gucci would perform wonders on JLaw. She’s more sexy and edgy than the classical beauty Dior represents.
I really love what she said, but I’m going to go with a shallow comment and say while I like the coat, I don’t like it on her. She has such a young face and petite frame, that she has to watch the dressier and business professional clothes that she wears. At times, she tends to look like a child playing dress up and the clothes engulf her.
The funny thing is that most men would actually benefit from a more feminist society. When women only considered as an object to men and not as full person with own motives, own morals, they are also freed of the responsibility of their actions. Domestic abuse against men by women, child abuse committed by women, rape committed by women would be punished equally hard as when these crimes were committed by men. Same as when it comes to the custody for children, it wouldn’t automatically go to the mother etc.
Personally I believe that gender roles are socially constructed and that every person regardless of male or female should be judged by his/her actions.
It’s a fact that societies that treat women better (access to education, healthcare, job opportunities, basic self-determination), drastically improve the country(ies) socio-economic standing and quality of life.
Custody automatically going to the mother is actually a myth, at least in the States. 91% of the time custody is decided between the parties, without legal intervention of any kind, and the woman retains custody ecause she was the primary carer before the split, and in many states stability for the children is a key aim. But in the minority of cases, where the parents litigate, men actually win more than 75% of the time, and a woman who makes allegations of domestic abuse is LESS likely to retain custody than one who doesn’t.
While I absolutely believe and appreciate that some women invent abuse to try to block the other side having contact with the kids… it’s also the case that many abusers will use the threat of removing the kids to retain control, and will be more willing to litigate than an average joe, let alone a male victim of abuse who may be, as many women are, so beaten down emotionally and so gaslighted that they assume Mom will win, anyway. And I just do not believe that most of the women taking this to court over abuse are lying. Abuse is not rare enough for that to be the case. So an awful lot of children are living with domestically abusive men, it would seem.
With you all the way on how feminism could help more men care more at an earlier point for their kids, thus helping more men get custody shared, as it is in Finland where maternity leave is parental leave and also shared. Those fathers are truly equal parents, it seems, and the career and life chance consequences for men and women are clear. And I agree, too, that that has to be better for the children. But British research tends to show that a large majority of custodial parents in the British Isles want the fathers to have more contact, not less, and it’s primarily the fathers who don’t want that increase in time with their children. Then again, maybe that disconnection starts really early, with the maternity leave being completely one-sided? If you deprive someone of time with their kids, and treat them after a split as a secondary parent with mainly financial responsibilities, then I suppose many will live up to that billing. However UK law follows the arrangements for the kids before a split, and fathers who do more care will usually end up the resident parent, too. One thing that does interest me about many of the Men’s Rights types is they will insist pay is fair because women work less and to a lower standard when they have kids as they have most of the childrearing duties… and in the next breath insist custody should be equal, or go to men as often, after a split. It makes no sense.
I also don’t think men are as badly abused in relationships as often as women. That isn’t to say that it can’t happen, or that men don’t absolutely deserve the same care and protection women should get (but usually don’t either), just that pretending that is equal flies in the face of the death statistics. 80% of people murdered by a present or former intimate partner are women, and in most cases, there is a recorded history somewhere of prior abuse. Of the 20% of male deaths, absolutely some are victims… but others are recorded abusers, and the women were seeking to defend themselves. That’s extremely rare the other way around. So when people try to use self-reporting or officially reporting stats to prove either side, I tend to think the potential for bias (either way) is too great. Bodies, and records on the prior relationship, are sadly all too reliable. And the story they tell is clear.
Love her. And the Dior dress.
I agree, the dress/coat is so gorgeous! I love it!
“didn’t the whole man-hating, bra-burning feminist stereotype die about 30 years ago? (wishful thinking?)”
Sadly no. Not with Rush Limbaugh’s “feminazis” trope and all that. It suits the male power structure to have women afraid of asserting their rights.
Wonderful speech. So right to bring in the men. #wherearethey #ohrightafraidofbeingsissies
Power, wealth and status is the bedrock inquiry, that concerns all of us in this debate. Who has it – why?, and who doesn’t – why?
That is where the kickback comes from, by those who do not wish women to take part in personal and economic freedom..
When women”s focus is their body parts (or lack thereof,) they are just giving away their power – to men! In this striving, how many billions of $$$, do companies and advertising control, by our manipulated fears?
Gosh, she’s looking more and more like Victoria Beckham every day.
Emma is one of the first to acknowledge struggles of men publicly. that is still a major taboo in our society and she is getting already attacked for it because purely mentioning men seems to be an offense to some feminists.
her HeforShe campaign obivously soloely focuses on women, so we’ll have to wait and see if she really is interested in actually also helping out men with their struggle concerning gender roles.
you cant reach equality if you ignore half of the population.
HeforShe doesn’t solely focus on women. It focuses on the role men play in gender quality. Feminism benefits men as well as women. And the only responses from feminist websites and blogs I have seen have been positive, so I have no idea what you are talking about.
where does it? the message clearly says: “violence and discrimination against women”. there is no word about men helping men or women helping men. makes sense when the campagin is called HeforShe, i am not doubting that. but its not what Emma said in her speech.
she adressed things like men suffering more from depression, commiting more suicides. there are other factors like men making up over 95% of workplace deaths, getting higher jail sentences for the same crime etc. so it would have been nice to actually get something in those fields.
im only pointing out the difference in what she personally said and what the campaign states that she is the face of. thats a fair question.
Emma even adresses herself that feminism is seen as men hating but she only says “that needs to stop” instead of telling quite a lot of the feminists to stop hating men.
i get sick to my stomach when i read mainstream feminists writing for big newspapers writing things like “male tears” that only reinforces the gender roles that men are not allowed to cry and not complain. it also gives of the impression that feminists lack empathy. only out there mocking the weak.
women are advantaged in a lot of areas but are blind to it. funny enough the same thing feminists accuse men of dong. but thats actually what feminists mostly do: accuse men.
same with consent. google around a bit, most women want the men “to just go for the kiss” and find asking a turn off. how about feminists teach consent to those women? no its the mens fault for acting like the majority of women want him to. so he is either a sissy because he respects women and asks before he makes a move or he is guilty of sexual assault if he goes for it like so many women want it.
Emma needs to do something for men if she so much cares as she says. how about a quota for men in kindergarten and women in garbage collection?
how about more rights for fathers? feminist countries like France even forbid paternity testing.
and then she wonders why people rightfully assume that feminism is men hating deluxe!
@Maria, first that would be a different UN campaign, second, to which mainstream femunists do you refer? I have never seen anything like what you describe and it comes across as extremist, not mainstream. Third, kissing? Are you using that word in place of other terms for rape? Finally, I oppose alimony in all but the rarest cases and I cross gender lines on that.
@maria
I can barely understand what you wrote because it is quite incoherent. She was talking about the stereotype of feminism being different from the reality of feminism. The reality is that feminism is not man-hating.
Are you seriously questioning the concept of consent? Because that is creepy. Any and all physical interaction between people requires consent. Even health care workers ask patients for consent before they touch them.
Maria it was clear enough for me. She was asking both sides to abstain from male or feminist bashing and start working together. Of course there are extremists on both sides but what she actually said was put aside these issues and work together to find equality for both genders.
Not sure what the kissing is in reference to but ii works both ways if a women is to forward in asking for sex she is more likely to be portrayed as pushy and overly sexualised. You only have to look at Sex in the City in which the strong confident KIM? is put across as some kind sexual predator.
@Maria
Quoting you: “same with consent. google around a bit, most women want the men “to just go for the kiss” and find asking a turn off. how about feminists teach consent to those women? no its the mens fault for acting like the majority of women want him to. so he is either a sissy because he respects women and asks before he makes a move or he is guilty of sexual assault if he goes for it like so many women want it.”
Majority of women want him to act like that? Have you made a research about “the majority”? I can tell you my ex once, during a fight, squeezed me against the wall, still obtaining a firm grip, which scared me and I tried desperately to fight him off. He let me go immediately and said he only tried to kiss me like they do in fights in the movies so why the F*** am I freaking out. (He indeed had never been violent towards me so I guess he didn’t lie about what that was all about.) But that was scary. And since then – it’s been 15 years – I’ve talked to a lot of women about this incident and I have never EVER met one who would find the kiss without consent sexy. Even by a boyfriend, like in my case, let alone by a stranger. Not one would consider a question for permission a sign of weakness. Most would find it sweet. I’m not saying no woman ever would act like that, but “majority” is stretching it, my dear.
Reading people like you makes me believe more and more firmly that these “questionable cases”, where one party claims assault and the other says it was done with consent, only comes from this other party not understanding what consent is. Like with my boyfriend and me: I felt I was assaulted (although in a minor way) and he believed he was being sexy (and was also single the next day).
On topic: Emma rocks!
“because purely mentioning men seems to be an offense to some feminists.”
Sigh.
^^^^ What TOK says…well expressed.
I attended a university ten years or so ago, and received a degree in Women’s Studies. At the university level, at least, there is no man-bashing, because that is just not the point of the movement. The bottom line is *human rights*. Women should feel proud of all the women who have gone before them, to secured the current rights we enjoy, and I am dignified by what they accomplished. Also, there were a number of professors and students who were gay. They like women best, obviously, but they are not man-haters; they were professionals and had courtesy and respect for everyone. Ladies, we must continue to press forward, appreciative of the leadership Sojourner Truth, Alice Walker, and so many others demonstrated in our behalf! The term male bashing did not originate with women, but by men, who are understandable confused with the new boundaries being drawn.
@wolfpup I also was in university more than ten years ago and I’ll disagree with you. I actually dropped out of all of my women’s studies profs because we had one who used her course as a platform to bash men but also that all white people should feel intense guilt for racism because it is only white people who contribute to it. Therefore there was nothing in the world more evil than white men. All white men. I was disgusted. I was told this is because I am a racist brainwashed to do the white man’s bidding. I happily pointed out the historical fact that not all white people were involved in the slave trade of the US…especially here in CANADA and that my own family was too busy being starved and oppressed by the English in Ireland to weigh in on that. Bigger concerns. I was the only one who spoke out for the two poor white dudes who thought they could join the conversation on equality only to be berated for showing up. It floored me how tunnel visioned this supposed academic was and how far back people like her set the movement. Looking to cast blame isn’t the point-finding answers and a way to build consensus are. And sadly this prof is not likely the only one…sometimes there’s a reason that a stereotype exists. It’s because people are able to take the most extreme examples of a group and spin that as if it applies to all of that group. Those who warp the message of equality to suit their own limited vision make it harder for those who truly believe in equality regardless of race, gender, religion, whatever.
you cant reach equality if you ignore half of the population.
Which is exactly why we need feminism.
Quite.
I have to say, in a world in which men occupy on average around 75% of all senior roles subject to elections/appointments, are socialised towards the best paying and most powerful jobs (and in traditionally feminine occupations such as midwifery and primary teaching, in which they are underrepresented, they are several times more likely than women to be found amongst the senior echelons… how many male Principals have you known in schools, compared to male teachers?) and when it comes to business, over 93% of CEOs are male… I do find it puzzling that anyone can assert that male issues are ignored or overlooked.
I’m white. I do not believe that white people are disadvantaged or that our struggles are not noticed. Because such a claim would be bollocks, and where white people face struggles it’s down to intersectionality – poverty, gender, sexual orientation, disability – not skin colour. There are, of course, men who face prejudice, but that prejudice isn’t down to their manhood. Arguments that men are neglected by the feminist movement are a little like those people who whine that there isn’t straight pride (been to a nice white wedding, lately?) or white history month (no, we have eleven of them) and that nobody provides wheelchairs for those who can walk. Just.,. hush. Seriously.
Lovely speech and quite courageous too.
If feminists truly want women to be “equal”, then why don’t they oppose alimony laws? No adult should expect to be financially supported by another adult.
With rights come responsibilities.
That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Alimony is not only given to women. If one partner gave up their career to stay at home and raise the kids, then they deserve a decent settlement in a divorce. If a stay at home parent was paid a salary for everything they do, they would be earning a six figure salary.
So you are creating a straw man argument that serves no purpose.
Well said Merritt!
Yes!
+1 Merritt
Alimony goes both ways. Rich women often pay spousal support to their mates after a breakup.
but isnt that a weak argument saying that it goes both ways? that wouldnt make it right.
Maria…what? Yes, it does make it right. The spouse that makes the $ helps the other one that stayed home to take care of the kids and home and the working spouse (that is a lot of work!). Most alimony is for a specific period relating to the length of the relationship and the partner that gets the alimony usually goes back to work at some time.
Alimony originated as a way of allowing the women to stay home (or work part time) with the kids for a limited period .In some cases today it applies to men as well.
Alimony is agendered and depends on the financial structure of the marriage. In fact, one of my coworkers would be paying alimony to her husband due to his disabilities if they hadn’t negotiated during the separation for her to handle his medical bills. (Which I suspect are far more expensive than alimony given that he’s suffering from a very aggressive form of a cancer, so don’t assume she made it out easy.) The justification behind alimony stemmed from the fact that households where one of the partners – traditionally the woman – sacrificed their working careers to care for children or the home, which left them at a significant financial disadvantage after separation because they had lost years of skill-based learning and job-networking. Multiple studies have shown that leaving the work force for even 2-3 years can put an individual permanently behind the race for future earning potential. Alimony is becoming less common or increasingly limited because – get this – educating women and allowing them into the workplace gave them more opportunity for independence and self-improvement, shifting it to a more balanced financial environment for both genders.
For the record, a simple google search could have told you all of this.
hahaha nice try @ trolling for heated responses.
She’s a great ambassador. I hope to see her being more involved and continuing her work in the future years and who knows, she might be the next Angelina Jolie when in comes to philanthropic work.
Well done, Emma. You are a shining star.
Aw, so wonderful to see a young woman pick up the torch! And with such a large young fan base of all sexes, great choice!
As my mother would say: “I could never be a feminist. I’ve known way too many feminists.”
The truth is that the feminist movement has been (and still is) unnecessarily hostile to men. Rants about patriarchy, rape culture, the need to “teach men not to rape”, etc. are little more than thinly-veiled attacks against men and their character. It really needs to stop. If it doesn’t, the “man-hating” label will continue to stick.
There is so much wrong in your post that I don’t even know where to begin.
I will begin with rape and rape culture. It is not man hating to put the blame and responsibility on the person who commits the act of rape. In most cases rape is committed by a man. That is not man-hating. It is reality. And the normalization of sexual harassment and assault. It is not okay to catcall women. It is not okay to go around filming yourself grabbing at women’s bodies, and then claim it was a prank or joke.
What needs to stop is people like you who claim the problem is with talking about rape culture and are offended by anti-rape campaigns that put the responsibility where it belongs, on the rapist and not on the victim.
Nope. Not going to stop ranting about patriarchy and rape culture. Not going to stop advocating for change, for equal rights. Oh and for the record, I happen to have several male friends and a husband who identify as feminist. I can assure you they do not consider the movement to be hostile or a threat against their manhood.
#YESALLWOMEN
“Nope. Not going to stop ranting about patriarchy and rape culture.”
Do what you like, but you’re only hurting your own cause.
Thank you I Choose & Merritt! I raised our sons to be feminists and they are proud and vocal about it.
@Star
Because sitting back and letting rape culture and victim blaming continue to happen has done so much for the cause? Oh wait those things don’t actually work. Unless the intention is to embolden rapists. What does work is counteracting rape culture and put blame on the rapist. The only person who can prevent rape is the rapist, not the victim.
+1, IChooseMe and Merritt.
“I raised our sons to be feminists and they are proud and vocal about it. ”
F*cking awesome, Jane16 🙂
One observation that isn’t lost on me: feminists are so often stereotyped as “man-hating”, aggressive, forceful with their opinions, and judgmental towards others. It’s interesting how the most aggressive and judgmental opinions on this thread seem to be coming from the anti-feminists.
@Maria since you asked, I’ll tell you what I could do without “the patriarchy”
In the absence of the overarching, western form of patriarchy, I would be able to:
– propose marriage to my boyfriend without being questioned about 1) my femininity, 2) his masculinity. (yes, I have done this and yes, I have fielded many rude and invasive questions about it).
– I wouldn’t be the first choice to “run out and get drinks/snacks” during a business meeting. (this has happened too. And I was not the most junior member on the team, but I was the only woman.
– I wouldn’t be (illegally) asked about my procreative plans every time I was up for staffing on a major project.
Well said, Lexie!
@Maria,
“honest question: if i go out tonight and kill the patriachy what could you do tomorrow that you can not do today? ”
I think full access to birth control, including the so called abortion pill. The end of slut shaming! There would more money spent on medical issues that effect women, instead of endless boner pills. I’d have equal pay for equal work. I think there would be a bigger emphasis on nurturing our children, rather than each man for himself. It really would be a village that would raise our kids. Our boys and men would be taught less violent other ways to prove that they are men.
Just a few things off the top of my head. Your mileage will vary of course.
I mostly see the “man-hating” label used when women have the audacity to challenge a man for political office. Local conservative commentators quickly slapped it on Elizabeth Warren when she correctly pointed out during her campaign that Scott Brown voted against equal pay for women.
YES! I freakin love Elizabeth Warren BTW.
@OriginalKitten, she rocks! I am so proud to have her as my Senator.
I wish that Elizabeth Warren would run for president. Even though Hillary portrays herself as women loving and tough, I believe that Elizabeth W. could help our society in broader ways – she is so integrous, and if the “Occupy” issues were to be addressed, so would many of our equality problems. IMO
I share my home with an octogenarian. The MA primary in 2008 was the only time in her life a woman’s name was on her presidential primary ballot and she cried when she voted for Clinton. 2012 was the first time she ever had the opportunity to vote a woman into Congress and she cried when she voted for Warren. I took her to meet Warren a few months ago and she hugged her and told her that she was proud to live long enough to vote her into the Senate because her mother, a suffragette, and two sisters never lived to see that day. We forget that there are women in this country who were born when we could not vote. Warren accepted her hugs gratefully and graciously.
80 year old nuns in full habits have been raped. Rape is a crime of violence, not sex. Women don’t “ask for it.” And no, feminists are the only ones calling for changes in due process, many victim advocacy groups rail against due process, particularly in cases of murder or pedophilia. Listen to someone like Bill O’Reilly sometime on his views on due process for those accused of pedophilia; and remember he would agree with your points against feminists.
@Maria: I can’t with you. I just can’t. You don’t seem to have even the most basic grasp of what feminism is.
@Maria Actually, Feminism does MEAN “equality”: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/feminism
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism
, but being an atheist does not equal not believing in “God”, it means the rejection of ALL deities. I should know, since I am one.
Also, as Feminist I can tell you now that we do not rally against men’s rights, because it would be against the very definition of our cause.
@Lilac +10000000
@Star There’s hostility and radicalism in every ideological movement. It’s part of what constitutes humanity, to be able to interpret ideas whichever way we may wish to. The “man-hating” label will stick because it is to the benefit of Anti- Feminists (note I did not use Men here) for it to stick.
Wow. Just, wow!
I have a grown son whom I brought up to respect women and not think of them as sex objects who are there to be raped. He treats his wife and all women with respect and I expect them to raise my little grandson the same way I raised him. If that’s feminism, so be it.
Janet, thank you. What you’ve done is raise a male human to treat a female human properly. That is an amazing contribution that will keep on giving. This is what we need to do with our sons and daughters.
The terms you have used “rape culture” indicates you have been getting information from mens rights blogs, PUA sites, or…. pseudo victimized angry men sites. The coin flips both way & lot of these blogs with these degrading terms, are filled with angry men. However, we tend to not be honest & feel more uncomfortable calling the women angry versus the men. Both sexes have angry people, hostile toward the opposite sex, but find it funny we only openly address the angry vindictive feminist in many of these mainstream blogs. Of course there are radical women calling themselves feminists but they’re also men playing the victim, when in reality they’re no different than the women they accuse.
Feminism has nothing to do with being anti-men. It has everything to do with being treated with the same respect and dignity as men expect for themselves.
If some men feel threatened by that, that’s their problem.
I am liking Emma Watson more and more! Good for her for representing such a great cause and something that is imperative in making this world a better place for all.
Kind of off topic, but this has been bothering me lately. I hate when men makes jokes using women’s anatomy as a symbol of weakness. Like “that guy is such a wimp, he must have a vagina” or “that guy needs to take his tampon out”. Because vaginas are weak??? I think it men had to experience something like a period or child birth once in their life, they would see that women (and vaginas) are pretty damn strong, and that we put up with a lot of sh-t.
and what about women who never give birth? (just asking because you use that example) can they also be strong in your point of view?
Oh my…she was using the example of p*ssy as an insult, she was in no way saying that women who don’t have babies are not strong.
Oh holy crap… thanks O’Kitty, for responding. My left eye is twitching right now.
Women who don’t have babies are strong because they have to deal with the insensitive crap from those who think women exist solely to reproduce. Women who give birth are strong because pregnancy is not kind to the body.
Thank you ladies!
Have you seen the Always “Like a girl” video littlestar? I’m not sure if I can post a link here or not, but google “always run like a girl” and you will find it. Basically, it shows how our perception of doing something “like a girl” changes over time and asks why. It goes right along with your comment about men using women’s anatomy as a symbol of weakness.
I’ll have to look it up. Yep, the phrase “like a girl” bothers the hell out of me too!
Yes, some of the most popular insults for boys/men still are based on being feminine or gay.
Like Betty White said: “Why do people say ‘grow some balls’? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding.”
omg, that’s hilarious!
Finally someone who knows what femminism truly means.
I was born in the early Gen X / end of Boomer Gen, and I saw the 3rd wave feminists, god bless them, marching, and fighting for our rights when I was growing up. Life was very hard on women back then, and young women nowadays have no idea. It makes me sad to see these amazing women who marched in the rain and stood up and took the horrible criticism and abuse (they were usually referred to as “dykes” or some other demeaning word) so vilified by the younger generations. We all (men and women) owe so much to the feminists of the 1st and 2nd waves. The red states are working daily to take away as many rights from women as they possibly can. You young women are the 3rd wave. Don’t take your freedoms for granted.
+1
So many (often young and/or privileged) women don’t realize that they profit from the efforts of Feminists of older generations all the time. Just like they often don’t see that we are still far away from reaching the goal of gender equity until it affects them directly.
I’ve seen quite a few woman my age bash feminism and talk about how feminism isn’t necessary anymore until the moment they finished their education and start looking for their first position after graduating.
Then they realized their chances on the job market are so much worse that those of their male counterparts, that they get less money for the same job, that they don’t get considered because they might want children or just because they have a vagina etc.
Same goes for men who would like to work in a profession that’s usually considered feminine or spend more time with their children but can’t because that’s not accepted and masculine enough. And because men who like to work with children have to be pedophiles.
And don’t get me started on all those hollywood star(lets) who talk about how unnecessary Feminism is until they don’t get offered roles anymore because they are considered too old or too ugly.
yep!
+2
+3
I, like Jane, was born on the cusp of Gen X. When I was in medical school, it was still very much a men’s club, with women drawing the short straw by nature of their gender. No one even pretended things were always fair.
So true! It makes me sad that many young women today don’t realize there is STILL a struggle for equality in this world. I’m actually reading a book by Gloria Steinem right now, and boy do I love her! I am actually planning on lending the book to my young nieces once they are old enough to read it.
I am by no means a fan of Emma Watson’s acting, but that being said, I found her speech thoughtful, straight to the point and very inspiring! I also appreciate how she talked about the struggles of women AND men in what it means to understand and therefore promote feminism (none of that man hating BS). It’s also nice to see someone so young and in the public eye have her shit together. Well done, Emma!
Can I just say I am very impressed with Emma? It’s indeed a very well-written and very well-delivered speech. Never really followed her career and life before but I can see why people love her. She really is a smartie, not just something everyone keeps saying for the sake of it. And yet at the same time I couldn’t help wondering. Has she addressed anything we don’t already know? Why, after equality movement has been supposedly at work for so long, people still need to be told the issues she pointed out?
We might already know everything she said, but there are plenty of people who don’t. I’m glad that young girls/boys have someone like Emma or Keira Knightley next to the Katy Perry’s and Shailene Woodley’s of these world.
I like her and her message (and her look too, but I’m trying to stay focused on the more serious issues in response to such a well thought out message).
My first thought as soon as I saw Emma’s outfit was that it would look so beautiful… on Meryl Streep. Or Helen Mirren. It’s so lovely, but so better suited to a more mature lady.
I’m sure she’s a lovely girl, but for some reason I can’t help but find her a mixture of dull and slightly annoying. I wish I didn’t as I think she’s a great example of how to transform from child actress to well rounded adult without managing to go off the rails first.
Would you find her more interesting and less annoying if she acted more like Miley Cyrus? That’s not who she is. She an intelligent, thoughtful young woman who, incidentally, happens to be extremely pretty.
Hmm… missed my point slightly there!
Perfect to a t. What she says is very true and she looked fabulous while saying it. What more could you ask for? I’m not a fan of her acting but I don’t have a problem with her here. Even if it is just PR (which I don’t think it is), I much rather a young woman to try to garner attention to herself by promoting this type of thinking and action than to do it through her oversexualization and the selling of her body. So props to Emma for doing something that counts.
You know what? We need the PR-not we “women” or we “feminists”. No, we as HUMANS-male and female-need this. For anyone who is still somehow(?) associating feminism with “man-hating” please know that this is quite simply not what feminism means. If we have any hope of saving and improving this planet and how women are treated, we have to have attention drawn to the issue. The right sort of attention. Whether it’s AJ or Emma as long as it is well thought out I’m all for it. And THAT is the House of Dior style I would make sketches of from their 50’s lines as a kid. Gorgeous.
I am so impress and proud that our Hermoine has grown up to be a beautiful, graceful and wonderful young woman. I am especially proud of her for saying these eloquent, yet inciteful words for a young woman in my own generation. Our generation needs role models like her and other people to feel extremely proud ( even though I have repeated the word so many times) but I do feel so much comfort in what this incredible woman has been saying during the U. N assembly. I am also grateful that she said about the word ‘feminist” not being an association of man-hating and not gender sensitivity. I have been fighting and praying for young women in my country all the time to take value of theirselves and not be defined because you need a man in their lives so desperately and men to take actions of who they are as gentlemen and not be men because they have a thing between their pants. And Sensitivity is also an issue that needs to be address. We as human beings should not be ashamed to cry, because crying heals your pain and not to hide your feeling and show that you are human.
Anyways, Emma Watson I am proud of you and you will be a great ambassador.
Hi all. I am a frequent lurker but this is my first time commenting on a post. I absolutely loved this speech. I was very fortunate to grow up in a household with a mother who never treated my brother or I differently because he was a boy and I was a girl. I was also taught at a very early age that I am not an object that can be used however someone else sees fit. Sadly, not many girls my age seem to have been taught that same lesson. I am 26 and it breaks my heart that so many of my friends view feminism as a dirty word. A lot of people from my generation do equate the word with man hating. I would love to see this change, but it is definitely an uphill battle. I am glad there are young women like Emma Watson out there who are actively trying to change things instead of seeing who can get the most retweets on Twitter. (I hope all of this makes sense. I am having a hard time putting my feelings about this subject into writing).
You know, I would love to believe every word she said. I would love to believe it is possible. But it is not. Men won´t let it happen. From the guy at the supermarket to the CEO of any company or politician. I don´t have any hope left.
I know how you feel. I also feel super discouraged by all the blatant hatred and misogyny directed towards women and I don’t know how we can change it :(. It also saddens me how many countries still treat women worse than cattle and abort girl pregnancies or resort to infanticide because *the horror* the baby dared to have to XX chromosomes thus making her worthless as a human being
Exactly.
I was a misandrist long before I discovered feminism.