To celebrate International Women’s Day, UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson participated in a live Q&A on March 8.
In a joint venture with UN Women’s HeforShe campaign and Facebook, the British actress answered questions about gender equality live from Facebook’s offices in central London. The questions came from the host Greg James, as well as fans and listeners participating via Facebook.
The HeforShe campaign focuses on encouraging men to be involved in the fight for equality, and asks men to sign an online petition pledging, “gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation. I commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.”
Watson launched the campaign with a speech to the UN in New York in September of 2014. In that speech, she explained that men need to be involved in feminism and the fight for equality and encouraged listeners to ask themselves: If not me, who? And if not now, when?
Watson explained during the Q&A what she aimed to convey with the speech.
“Our society in general devalues the ‘she’… and it is hindering our progress. It’s causing discrimination and violence and pain and fear the world over.”
“Gender equality historically has been a women’s movement. But the impact of gender inequality hasn’t been addressed. I wanted that to be one of the strongest messages in my speech,” she said.
“I have four brothers, and I grew up seeing that gender inequality affects them just as much as it affects me.”
The campaign has been criticised for implying that men should be “saving” women from oppression, which Watson clarified.
“I think that’s a misunderstanding. Women are already in the club, because it’s our movement. It’s an equality club, for both genders. It’s about men coming in support of women and women coming in support of men,” she said.
“Gloria Steinem gave a speech last week at a HeForShe event in New York, and she used this really beautiful metaphor. She said that the human race is like a bird, and it needs both of its wings to be able to fly. And at the moment, one of its wings is clipped. And we’re never going to be able to fly as high unless we’re both in support of each other.”
She also responded to criticisms about her own privilege and whether she is the best person to be heading the HeforShe campaign.
“I’ve been incredibly privileged and I haven’t been held back because I am a girl. Surely, it is therefore my responsibility to make sure other women have access to the same privileges that I have. Surely, it would be bad if I wasn’t doing this, making sure that what I have been lucky enough to receive in my life is extended to others,” she said.
Watson said that rather than disheartening her, the online harassment she received after the speech only strengthened her resolve.
“If anything, it made me so much more determined. I was just raging. It made me so angry that I was just like, ‘This is why I have to be doing. This. This is why I have to be doing this’,” she said.
“If they were trying to put me off, it did the opposite.”
The final message Watson conveyed in her International Women’s Day Q&A session?
“If you stand for equality, then you’re a feminist. Sorry to tell you, but you’re a feminist.”