Categorized | Uncategorized

Emma Watson and the F-word

By Saanjh Gupta


If not now, when?
The final line of UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson’s speech on UN Women’s latest campaign, HeForShe, aptly concluded Watson’s appeal to both men and women to advocate for feminism and women’s rights. Delivered on the 21st of September, 2014, to the General Assembly, the speech was met with responses ranging from outright support to those questioning its significance, and to death threats over the equality that is in essence a human right.

 

Contemporary feminism, alternatively, the F-word, is an issue that is somehow both a taboo and a hotly debated in mass media. As a result, many call Watson’s speech “game-changing” in the magnitude of the response garnered from it, and brand her as the face of modern feminism; this seems counterintuitive to what she advocates – the encapsulation of all female experiences and choices, and the breaking through stereotypes of both genders.

 

Nevertheless, and for the sake of awareness, the speech was arguably one of the largest milestones for feminism seen this year. Known to many as the beloved female lead in the Harry Potter movie series, Watson’s already large  fanbases were generally supportive of her efforts for advocating for women’s rights. Watson’s campaign, HeForShe, focused increasingly on dialogue between the sexes; many only know feminism as misandry, the belief in female superiority – as such, HeForShe’s focus on an inclusive approach seemed innovative. Through Watson’s status as a Goodwill Ambassador, the movement gained legitimacy – a sad truth that many of the inadvertent feminists she appeals to in her speech do not enjoy.

 

Criticisms of Watson’s speech stemmed from her highlighting feminist beliefs geared towards white, middle-class women – a considerably more empowered minority of feminists worldwide. Criticisms also pertain to the supposed fallacy of Watson’s appeal to men, some of whom are not received to be true supporters of female empowerment

 

But perhaps Watson’s speech did not need originality for success, and in no way is this a pejorative comment. Perhaps the driving forces behind feminism needed to be reiterated, as the global gender gap still stands as a reminder of the movement’s pertinence.

 

The World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap report – a study assessing the disparities in opportunities, health and economic standing between men and women – reads that the gap between the sexes for economic opportunity lies at 60%, a 4% increase from 2013 – higher percentages mean narrower gaps. Thirty-five of nearly two hundred countries have closed the gap entirely, yet political empowerment for women still stands at a paltry 21% – which is the most improved statistic since 2006. Practices such as female genital mutilation, sex-selective abortions and infanticide are still present; and while Watson’s speech did not address these, its impact on publicising a misunderstood movement cannot generally be denied.

 

In this regard, the attention paid to Watson’s speech, criticism or otherwise, was and is entirely necessary. This impact lies beyond its content itself; responses of death threats exposed the hostility towards the movement despite its relevance, and the ensuing debate led somewhat to a greater understanding of this branch of feminism, within the bracket of its viewers. In this regard, the more dialogue the better – yet we cannot neglect the world’s women without access to this speech, or to freedom, still waiting for a voice.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Calendar

March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Additional Links:

www.bestdelegate.com