1. In the title ‘Gender Equality Is your Issue Too’, who does ‘your’ refer to?

A: In the title ‘Gender Equality Is your Issue Too’, ‘your’ refers to the boys and men of the world.

2. Who does the campaign ‘HeForShe’ seek to involve?

A: The campaign ‘HeForShe’ seeks to involve one million men and boys.

3. What is the main objective of the ‘HeForShe’?

A: The main objective of the ‘HeForShe’ is to motivate and mobilise one billion men and boys to act as
advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally.

4. What according to Emma Watson is ‘feminism’?

A: Feminism is a belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory
of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

5. Why has the word ‘feminism’ become unpopular?

A: The word ‘feminism’ has become unpopular because feminists are projected as overly aggressive,
exclusivist and anti-men.

6. What kinds of gender-based assum0ptions did Emma Watson notice as she was growing up?

A: She was called ‘bossy’ when she was eight. She was projected as a sexual object by the media when
she was 14. Her female friends stopped playing their favourite games at the age of 15. Her male friends
could not speak freely because they became self-conscious of their gender difference.

7. According to Emma Watson, what rights should women have?

A: Women should have political, economic, and social rights.

8. Why does Emma Watson say that her life is a ‘sheer privilege’?

A: She Considers herself privileged because she was never discriminated against on the basis of her
gender either at home or outside.

9. What was the most noticeable and disappointing aspect of Hillary Clinton’s speech in Beijing?

A: It was declared that ‘women’s rights are human rights.

10. According to Emma Watson, why do men suffer?

A: Men suffer from mental illness. They do not have the benefits of equality.

11. How is women’s freedom linked to men’s freedom?

A: Men and women should free themselves from gender binaries and recognize their total self. She says
that when men free themselves from the constraints of gender stereotypes, it will quite naturally lead to
a change in the status of women.

12. What kind of freedom should both men and women have?

A: Men and women should free themselves from gender binaries and recognize their total self.
13. What gave Emma Watson the courage to speak at the UN?

A: Emma Watson motivated herself by recalling Edmund Burke’s remark that all that is needed for evil
to triumph is the inaction of good men and women. She urges everyone to feel personally responsible
and commit themselves to act in order to change the world for the better.

14. What would be the consequences of not doing anything about gender inequality?

A: Men remained uninvolved. The should be invited and men’s freedom results in the freedom of
women

COMPREHENSION II

1. What is the central argument of Emma Watson’s speech and how does she support it?

Answer:

On Sep. 20, 2014, British actor and Goodwill Ambassador for U.N. Women Emma Watson gave a smart,
important, and moving speech about gender inequality and how to fight it. In doing so, she launched the
HeForShe initiative, which aims to get men and boys to join the feminist fight for gender equality. In the
speech, Watson made the important point that in order for gender equality to be achieved, harmful and
destructive stereotypes of masculinity and behavioral expectations for boys and men have got to
change.

2. Explain how gender stereotyping affects both women and men.

Answer:

Stereotypes often contribute negatively to gender roles. Men and women often feel that they
have to act a certain way because society has defined certain expectations for us based on our
gender. Unfortunately, this can hinder the authenticity of our relationships and cause
miscommunications.

3. Explain how understanding gender as a spectrum, instead of as a binary, will free both men
and women.
Answer:
Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to
be strong… It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two opposing sets of
ideals.
If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are
—we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom. 
Emma Watson wants men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can
be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human
too—reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and
complete version of themselves.

4. Why has gender equality remained unachieved in any country? Give reasons implied in the
speech.
Answer:

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its
potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve
peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has
been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth.
Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities
between men and women, warns UN Women. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to end
the multiple forms of gender violence and secure equal access to quality education and health,
economic resources and participation in political life for both women and girls and men and
boys. It is also essential to achieve equal opportunities in access to employment and to
positions of leadership and decision-making at all levels.

5. Justify how women’s rights are human rights.

Answer:

Women’s rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations
for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include the right to live
free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and
to earn a fair and equal wage.

As the now-famous saying goes, “women’s rights are human rights.” That is to say, women are
entitled to all of these rights. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls are
still denied them, often simply because of their gender.
Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or
girl; it is also about changing how countries and communities work. It involves changing laws
and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong women’s organizations and
movements.

6. What are the objectives of the ‘HeForShe’ campaign and how does Emma Watson seek to
achieve them?
Answer:

The fundamental objective of HeForShe is to change discriminatory behaviours, through building

awareness of the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment and the crucial role men
can play in their own lives, and at more structural levels in their communities, to end the persisting
inequalities faced by women and girls globally. HeForShe also provides a platform for men and boys to
become advocates for women and girls, and to behave accordingly, telling their stories to the global
community about the actions they are taking to end inequality. Emma Watson wants to involve one
million men and boys to achieve the objectives of the programme.