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SpeechbyUNWomenGoodwillAmbassadorEmmaWatsonataspecialeventfortheHeForShecampaign,UnitedNationsHeadquarters,NewYork,20September2014Yourexcellences,UNSecretary-General,presidentoftheGeneralAssembly,executiveDirectorofUNWomenanddistinguishedguestsitisanhonourformetobeheretoday.Todaywearelaunchingacampaigncalled“HeForShe.”IamreachingouttoyoubecauseIneedyourhelp.Wewanttoendgenderinequality—andtodothatweneedeveryoneinvolved.ThisisthefirstcampaignofitskindattheUN:wewanttotryandgalvanizeasmanymenandboysaspossibletobeadvocatesforchange.Andwedon’tjustwanttotalkaboutit,wewanttotryandmakesurethatitistangible.IwasappointedasgoodwillambassadorforUNwomensixmonthsagoandthemoreIhavespokenaboutfeminismthemoreIhaverealizedthatfightingforwomen’srightshastoooftenbecomesynonymouswithman-hating.IfthereisonethingIknowforcertain,itisthatthishastostop.Fortherecord,feminismbydefinitionis:“Thebeliefthatmenandwomenshouldhaveequalrightsandopportunities.Itisthetheoryofthepolitical,economicandsocialequalityofthesexes.”Istartedquestioninggender-basedassumptionsalongtimeago.WhenIwaseightIwasconfusedatbeingcalled“bossy,”becauseIwantedtodirecttheplayswewouldputonforourparents—buttheboyswerenot.Whenat14Istartedbeingsexualizedbycertainelementsofthemedia.Whenat15mygirlfriendsstarteddroppingoutoftheirsportsteamsbecausetheydidn’twanttoappear“muscly.”Whenat18mymalefriendswereunabletoexpresstheirfeelings.IdecidedthatIwasafeministandthisseemeduncomplicatedtome.Butmyrecentresearchhasshownmethatfeminismhasbecomeanunpopularword.Womenarechoosingnottoidentifyasfeminists.ApparentlyIamamongtheranksofwomenwhoseexpressionsareseenastoostrong,tooaggressive,isolating,andanti-men,unattractive,even.Whyhasthewordbecomesuchanuncomfortableone?IamfromBritainandIthinkitisrightthatIampaidthesameasmymalecounterparts.IthinkitisrightthatIshouldbeabletomakedecisionsaboutmyownbody.Ithinkitisrightthatwomenbeinvolvedonmybehalfinthepoliciesanddecisionsthatwillaffectmylife.IthinkitisrightthatsociallyIamaffordedthesamerespectasmen.ButsadlyIcansaythatthereisnoonecountryintheworldwhereallwomencanexpecttoreceivetheserights.Nocountryintheworldcanyetsaythattheyhaveachievedgenderequality.TheserightsIconsidertobehumanrightsbutIamoneoftheluckyones.Mylifeisasheerprivilegebecausemyparentsdidn’tlovemelessbecauseIwasbornadaughter.MyschooldidnotlimitmebecauseIwasagirl.Mymentorsdidn’tassumeIwouldgolessfarbecauseImightgivebirthtoachildoneday.TheseinfluencerswerethegenderequalityambassadorsthatmadewhoIamtoday.Theymaynotknowit,buttheyaretheinadvertentfeministswhoarechangingtheworldtoday.Weneedmoreofthose.Andifyoustillhatetheword—itisnotthewordthatisimportant,it’stheideaandtheambitionbehindit,becausenotallwomenhavereceivedthesamerightsthatIhave.Infact,statistically,veryfewhavebeen.In1997,HilaryClintonmadeafamousspeechinBeijingaboutwomen’srights.Sadlymanyofthethingsshewantedtochangearestilltruetoday.Butwhatstoodoutformethemostwasthatlessthan30percentofheraudiencesweremale.Howcanweaffectchangeintheworldwhenonlyhalfofitisinvitedorfeelwelcometoparticipateintheconversation?Men—Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytoextendyourformalinvitation.Genderequalityisyourissuetoo.Becausetodate,I’veseenmyfather’sroleasaparentbeingvaluedlessbysocietydespitemyneedinghispresenceasachildasmuchasmymother’s.I’veseenyoungmensufferingfrommentalillnessunabletoaskforhelpforfearitwouldmakethemless“ofaman”orlessof“macho”—infactintheUKsuicideisthebiggestkillerofmenbetween20-49;eclipsingroadaccidents,cancerandcoronaryheartdisease.I’veseenmenmadefragileandinsecurebyadistortedsenseofwhatconstitutesmalesuccess.Mendon’thavethebenefitsofequalityeither.Wedon’toftentalkaboutmenbeingimprisonedbygenderstereotypesbutIcanseethatthattheyareandthatwhentheyarefree,thingswillchangeforwomenasanaturalconsequence.Ifmendon’thavetobeaggressiveinordertobeaccepted,womenwon’tfeelcompelledtobesubmissive.Ifmendon’thavetocontrol,womenwon’thavetobecontrolled.Bothmenandwomenshouldfeelfreetobesensitive.Bothmenandwomenshouldfeelfreetobestrong…Itistimethatweallperceivegenderonaspectruminsteadoftwosetsofopposingideals.Ifwestopdefiningeachotherbywhatwearenotandstartdefiningourselvesbywhoweare—wecanallbefreerandthisiswhatHeForSheisabout.It’saboutfreedom.Iwantmentotakeupthismantle.Sotheirdaughters,sistersandmotherscanbefreefromprejudicebutalsosothattheirsonshavepermissiontobevulnerableandhumantoo—reclaimthosepartsofthemselvestheyabandonedandindoingsobeamoretrueandcompleteversionofthemselves.YoumightbethinkingwhoisthisHarryPottergirl?AndwhatisshedoingspeakingattheUN.Andit’sareallygoodquestion.Ihavebeenaskingmyselfthesamething.AllIknowisthatIcareaboutthisproblem.AndIwanttomakeitbetter.AndhavingseenwhatI’veseen—andgiventhechance—Ifeelitismyresponsibilitytosaysomething.StatesmanEdmundBurkesaid:“Allthatisneededfortheforcesofeviltotriumphisforgoodmenandwomentodonothing.”InmynervousnessforthisspeechandinmymomentsofdoubtI’vetoldmyselffirmly—ifnotme,who,ifnotnow,when.IfyouhavesimilardoubtswhenopportunitiesarepresentedtoyouIhopethatthosewordsmightbehelpful.Becausetherealityist