{"id":106,"date":"2014-11-03T16:36:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-03T16:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniofglos.blog\/rpe\/2014\/11\/03\/emma-watsonss-heforshe-speech-on-gender-equality-by-shannon-boyle"},"modified":"2014-11-03T16:36:00","modified_gmt":"2014-11-03T16:36:00","slug":"emma-watsonss-heforshe-speech-on-gender-equality-by-shannon-boyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/2014\/11\/03\/emma-watsonss-heforshe-speech-on-gender-equality-by-shannon-boyle\/","title":{"rendered":"Emma Watsons\u2019s \u2018HeForShe\u2019 Speech on Gender Equality (by Shannon Boyle)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n
Emma Watson\u2019s gender equality speech<\/a> launches the \u2018HeForShe\u2019 campaign which encourages men to join the feminist movement. An inclusive approach is necessary in achieving gender equality. The most inclusive approach may be intersectional feminism which suggests that society is not patriarchal but much more complex. It stems from Sch\u00fcssler Fiorenza\u2019s concept that society is one of \u2018kyriarchy\u2019. Kyriarchy expresses that oppression works in \u2018a complex pyrimdal system\u2019 of interlinking social structures, so everyone in society oppresses and is oppressed. Therefore, inequality works on many different levels and affects far more than just women. <\/span><\/div>\n
Watson touches upon intersectional feminism in recognising that men also face societal oppression. An example of this is her father\u2019s parental role being valued less by society. Another is that men are more likely to suffer from clinical depression and commit suicide, yet do not seek help because of gender stereotypes, such as the need to appear \u2018macho\u2019. Therefore, men should want to join the feminist movement to dismantle the patriarchy that enforces unrealistic gender stereotypes. However, Watson fails to note the crucial involvement of kyriarchy. <\/span>As Sian Ferguson discusses on Everyday Feminism<\/i>, it is kyriarchy that must be challenged rather than patriarchy, because inequality affects<\/span> everyone. <\/span><\/div>\n
Watson\u2019s speech begins, \u2018We want to end gender inequality \u2013 and to do that we need everyone to be involved\u2019 and so, men must also become advocates for gender equality. However, in only addressing women and men, the \u2018HeForShe\u2019 campaigns audience is limited to the cisgender community. Gender identity is much more than biological sex. To actually have everyone <\/i>involved, the feminist movement must be inclusive of an increasing transgender community. Gender is a wide range, as Killermann lists in A Guide to Gender<\/i>, to name a few, there is agender, bigender, genderfluid and genderqueer. Only once the feminist movement encompasses the whole range of gender, and makes an appeal to all, will gender equality really be achieved. <\/span><\/div>\n
This is why intersectional feminism is such a strong approach. It includes everyone and highlights that oppression is a much wider issue than gender alone. But as Killermann expresses, to solve inequality and oppression, we must tackle each individual part and Watson is correct in highlighting gender as a main element of inequality and societal oppression. However, the speech and campaign Watson promotes would be more successful and appealing if an intersectional feminist approach was adopted. <\/span><\/div>\n
Despite these issues, Watson addresses an important problem in that \u2018feminism has become an unpopular word\u2019. The fight for gender equality is often perceived as misogyny verses misandry but, as Killermann highlights, this is a misconception that needs to be eradicated. Some feminists are misandrists, but most are not. Gender equality is not about hating men or bringing men down, but raising other gender\u2019s to have the same rights and opportunities as men, so that everyone can be equal. Feminism is about removing the stigma and stereotypes attached to every gender, from cisgender to transgender. Intersectional feminism works to destruct this kyriarchy within society.<\/span><\/div>\n
Watson\u2019s speech is a good first step towards gender equality, but there is a long way to go. The \u2018HeForShe\u2019 campaign needs to adopt more of an intersectional approach to truly achieve gender equality. It must welcome every <\/i>gender and aim to dismantle kyriarchy, acknowledging that women\u2019s rights are part of a much bigger picture of inequality. <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0(Shannon Boyle is a second-year RPE student)<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sources<\/span><\/div>\n
Ferguson, S., \u2018Kyriarchy 101: We\u2019re Not Just Fighting the Patriarchy Anymore\u2019 on Everyday Feminism <\/i>(2014) [accessed 28\/10\/14]<\/span><\/div>\n
Killermann, S., The Social Justice Advocate\u2019s Handbook: A Guide to Gender <\/i>(Austin, TX: Impetus Books, 2013)<\/span><\/div>\n
Sch\u00fcssler Fiorenza, E., Wisdom Ways <\/i>(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2001)<\/span><\/div>\n
Emma Watson at the HeForShe Campaign 2014 \u2013 Official UN Video<\/span><\/i> (Youtube, 2014) [accessed 25\/10\/14]<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2018Emma Watson: Gender inequality is your issue too\u2019 on UN Women <\/i>(2014) [accessed 25\/10\/14]<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

HeForShe <\/span><\/i>(2014) [accessed 25\/10\/14]<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emma Watson\u2019s gender equality speech launches the \u2018HeForShe\u2019 campaign which encourages men to join the feminist movement. An inclusive approach is necessary in achieving gender equality. The most inclusive approach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[318],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gender"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/rpe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}