OPED: The HeForShe campaign fights sexism with sexism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Grace Richey,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

HeForShe, the United Nations’ new global campaign aimed at increasing male involvement in the name of oppressed women worldwide, appears to be the infallible battle cry in the fight for gender-based human rights advocacy. It sounds simple:

He recognizes the difficulties placed on women both in and out of the US.

He believes in equality between genders.

He advocates for the women near and far to him that are unable to speak for themselves.

But what about the She?

Historically, nearly all gender rights movements have been led by women. However, third-wave (or modern) feminists who believe in intersectionalism (the acceptance of both genders) and the organizers of HeForShe on the UN Women’s council have wisely identified that the combined forces of women and men together are necessary for progress.

As Global Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson points out in her address to the UN, “How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel[s] welcome to participate in the conversation?”

While I believe that Watson did an admirable job of promoting and defining feminism in a coherent and relatable manner, the idea of “HeForShe” deemphasizes the fact that work is being done by women and that female leaders do exist.

As the campaign is aimed to “extend [a] formal invitation” to men, it promotes the patriarchal concept that our world is governed by male influence.

Let’s not forget the advances that women like Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Aung San Suu Kyi, Grace Hopper and Malala Yousafzai have made to promote female worth themselves.

The issue at hand is that nearly all societies accept a certain level of gender-based discrimination, which results in compliance with cultural norms such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and segregated spheres based solely on what is predetermined as “acceptable.”

While it is not as thoroughly recognized, men also face sexism themselves in the form of the machismo persona–wherein qualities that appear “feminine” are inferior to otherwise “masculine” characteristics and thus degrading.

Machismo is especially concerning because the ideal further adds to notion that women need saving and protecting, glorifying the “heroes” that save the damsel in distress. A He being praised for rescuing the She is not the way to fight inequality.

The issue with the HeForShe movement is not that men are identifying themselves as feminists (I applaud this, since it is the belief in social, political and economic equality between the sexes, as stated by activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie), it’s that while in the midst of hopping on the bandwagon, we might forget that the female population has an insurmountable level of untapped potential.

While both genders must take part in correcting social injustice, HeForShe exemplifies the (sexist) portrayal of women constantly needing to be saved by men.

So, yes, support feminism as Watson graciously explains–but don’t consider yourself a game-changing hero for doing it.