Emma Watson’s UN gender equality campaign is an invitation to men, too

Emma Herman The Guardian Friday, 3rd October 2014

Emma Watson launched the HeForShe campaign at the UN last week and extended a “formal
invitation” to men to participate in the conversation about gender equality. “Gender equality is your
issue too,” said the actor and UN Women goodwill ambassador. Watson’s speech struck a chord with
many and fanned the feminist fire that is, slowly but surely, being reignited.

The reason Watson invited men to join the conversation was that gender stereotypes also limit them.
“Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be
strong,” she said. But while gender stereotypes can be suffocating to men too, it is women, girls and
transgender people who face the lion’s share of boundaries and limitations.

Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that men and women have the same stake in this drive for
progress. Men wield power over women. That is the crux. And we should not ignore other
dimensions: white wields power over black. Straight wields power over queer. Rich wields power
over poor. Feminism is about addressing the power imbalances that limit people’s opportunities to
live their lives to the fullest. We need men to join the feminist pursuit of social justice because it is
the right thing to do. It is a matter of human rights, not of enlightened self-interest.

At the end of her speech, Watson announced a “uniting movement”, UN Women’s HeForShe
campaign. The initiative essentially involves a petition that men are invited to sign, committing
themselves to “take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and
girls”. However, a movement is more than a petition. A movement is made up of people who work
tirelessly to change the circumstances of their own lives as well as those of the people around them,
generation after generation.

Emma Watson’s UN gender equality campaign is an invitation to men, too

Emma Herman The Guardian Friday, 3rd October 2014

Emma Watson launched the HeForShe campaign at the UN last week and extended a “formal
invitation” to men to participate in the conversation about gender equality. “Gender equality is your
issue too,” said the actor and UN Women goodwill ambassador. Watson’s speech struck a chord with
many and fanned the feminist fire that is, slowly but surely, being reignited.

The reason Watson invited men to join the conversation was that gender stereotypes also limit them.
“Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be
strong,” she said. But while gender stereotypes can be suffocating to men too, it is women, girls and
transgender people who face the lion’s share of boundaries and limitations.

Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that men and women have the same stake in this drive for
progress. Men wield power over women. That is the crux. And we should not ignore other
dimensions: white wields power over black. Straight wields power over queer. Rich wields power
over poor. Feminism is about addressing the power imbalances that limit people’s opportunities to
live their lives to the fullest. We need men to join the feminist pursuit of social justice because it is
the right thing to do. It is a matter of human rights, not of enlightened self-interest.

At the end of her speech, Watson announced a “uniting movement”, UN Women’s HeForShe
campaign. The initiative essentially involves a petition that men are invited to sign, committing
themselves to “take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and
girls”. However, a movement is more than a petition. A movement is made up of people who work
tirelessly to change the circumstances of their own lives as well as those of the people around them,
generation after generation.
Questions about «  Emma Watson’s UN gender equality campaign is an invitation to
men, too »

1. On what occasion was the article written?►It was written just after EW’s speech
that started her awareness campaign.

2. Where was it published?►____UK________________________________. It

is :
□a British weekly □an American monthly □a British daily □an
American daily

3. Emma Watson is referred to as an ___actor________ and an UN ____Women

goodwill ambassador_______.

4. What form of discrimination is the article mainly about? gender stereotypes

5. What other forms of discriminations are mentioned in the article ( paragraph 3 )?

►Men wield power over women. White wields power over black. Straight
wields power over queer. Rich wields power over poor.

6. According to the journalist, what is the ultimate aim of Feminism?

►Feminism is about addressing the power imbalances that limit people’s
opportunities to live their lives to the fullest.

7. What’s the name of the campaign?

► HeForShe
8. Are men victims of gender discrimination?
► gender stereotypes can be suffocating to men too

9. Why is it a “uniting movement”?

►Because all body, men and woman, can join to this movement

10. Complete the sentence: “Both men and women should feel free to be
____strong_________ and ________sensitive_____________.”

11. What is the petition about?► The initiative essentially involves a petition that
men are invited to sign, committing themselves to “take action against all
forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls”

12. Rephrase the last sentence of the text: “A movement is made up of people who work
tirelessly to change the circumstances of their own lives as well as those of the people
around them, generation after generation.”
►A movement is formed from people that work tirelessly to vary the
circumstances of their own lives also as those of the people around them,
generation after generation.
Find the equivalents in the text :
la part du lion►the lion's share
les déséquilibres►imbalances
sans relâche►tirelessly exercer un pouvoir►exercise power

poussée, élan►drive redéclencher, rallumer►reignite

le cœur, le point crucial►the crux enjeu, intérêt►stake