HeForShe
BY EMMA WATSON
• Event: HeForShe Campaign Launch
Date: September 20, 2014
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speaker: Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill
Ambassador
Purpose of the Speech
• Emma Watson delivered this speech to:
• Launch the HeForShe Campaign: An initiative by UN
Women aiming to involve men and boys in the fight for
gender equality.
• Redefine Feminism: Clarify misconceptions about
feminism, emphasizing that it's about equal rights for all
genders, not about man-hating.
• Encourage Male Participation: Highlight the
importance of men's involvement in achieving gender
equality.
Paragraph 2: Launch of
Paragraph 1: Introduction HeForShe
and Gratitude
• Emma Watson begins by • She announces the launch of
introducing herself as the UN the HeForShe campaign,
Women Goodwill Ambassador inviting both men and boys to
and expressing her honor to become advocates for gender
be speaking at the UN. She equality. This marks the main
purpose of her speech—to
thanks the organization for
engage men in the feminist
the opportunity. This sets a movement—and immediately
respectful and formal tone, establishes that gender
showing her humility and equality is not just a women's
sincerity. issue.
Paragraph 3: Definition of Paragraph 4: Personal
Feminism Journey into Feminism
• Watson shares the dictionary • She reflects on her own
definition of feminism as “the experiences with gender
belief that men and women inequality, beginning at age
should have equal rights and 8. For example, she was told
opportunities.” She points out she was “bossy” when taking
how the word has become leadership roles. These
unpopular, often associated
personal anecdotes make
with man-hating. This is
important because she aims to her arguments relatable and
reclaim and normalize show that sexism often
feminism. begins at a young age.
Paragraph 5: Women’s and Paragraph 6: Men and
Girls’ Struggles Gender Stereotypes
• Emma describes how girls • She powerfully states that
drop out of sports or feel gender stereotypes harm
less valued due to gender men too. Many boys are
roles, while women are taught to hide their emotions,
and men who are vulnerable
expected to be the
may be seen as weak. She
caregivers or homemakers. argues that if men feel free to
She shows how society be sensitive, women will
systematically limits girls’ benefit from having more
and women’s choices and emotionally available partners,
self-esteem. fathers, and leaders.
Paragraph 7: Personal Male
Role Models Paragraph 8: A Call to Men
• Emma talks about her father • She addresses men
being involved in her directly, saying their role
upbringing and how this was
perceived as unusual. She
in feminism is essential. If
honors male figures like her men don’t speak up, the
father and male teachers who world will not change. Her
supported her but were never tone becomes more urgent
recognized because here, emphasizing that
caregiving is seen as "a gender equality can’t be
woman’s job." This challenges
traditional masculinity.
achieved by women alone.
Paragraph 9: Statistics and Paragraph 10: Human Rights
Global Concern Frame
• Watson highlights real-world • She clarifies that gender
inequality: girls being forced equality is a human
into early marriage, women rights issue, not just a
earning less than men, and women’s concern. This
being excluded from politics.
framing helps universalize
She warns that at the current
rate, gender equality won’t be the cause—it’s everyone’s
achieved for another 75 years. issue. This paragraph is
This paragraph adds factual central to her argument and
weight to her emotional resonates with international
appeal. audiences.
Paragraph 11: "If Not Me, Paragraph 12: Invitation to
Who? If Not Now, When?" All
• Emma uses this powerful • She ends warmly, inviting
quote to inspire action. She both men and women to
reminds listeners that every feel safe, valued, and free
individual has the power from stereotypes. Her vision
to make change, and that is inclusive—a world where
waiting for someone else to both genders are respected
act is not enough. This is and liberated. This conclusion
the climactic point of her ties back to the beginning
speech—a motivational and restates her core mission
call to join HeForShe. with hope and urgency.
Summary
• Emma Watson’s speech at the UN is a blend of
personal story, social analysis, and global
advocacy. Through clear language and strong emotion,
she urges both men and women to redefine feminism,
break gender roles, and work together for equality. Her
appeal to men is especially unique, as she positions
them not as opponents or saviors, but as equal
partners in the movement.
THANKYOU
