MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MarieClaire
  • News
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Career
  • Bridal
  • Podcasts
  • Beyond Beauty
  • Video
MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Just How Much Has Changed A Year After the #MeToo Movement?

Just How Much Has Changed A Year After the #MeToo Movement?

Emma Watson Just Gave An Incredible Speech About Gender Equality

Emma Watson Just Gave An Incredible Speech About Gender Equality

Kate Beckinsale Reveals A Horrific Incident With Harvey Weinstein

Kate Beckinsale Reveals A Horrific Incident With Harvey Weinstein

Pip Edwards Shares An Emotional Letter To Her Son

Pip Edwards Shares An Emotional Letter To Her Son

{headline}

{headline}

Emma Watson Has Launched An Online Tool That Calculates The Eco-Impact Of Your Fashion Consumption

Emma Watson Has Launched An Online Tool That Calculates The Eco-Impact Of Your Fashion Consumption

Emma Watson Compared Taylor Swift to Jo March In ‘Little Women’

Emma Watson Compared Taylor Swift to Jo March In ‘Little Women’

The Cast Of 'Harry Potter' Have Reunited And The Pictures Are Adorable

The Cast Of 'Harry Potter' Have Reunited And The Pictures Are Adorable

{headline}

{headline}

It Will Take 257 Years For The Gender Pay Gap To Close

It Will Take 257 Years For The Gender Pay Gap To Close

Emma Watson Has Hidden Copies Of 'Little Women' Across The World For Us To Read

Emma Watson Has Hidden Copies Of 'Little Women' Across The World For Us To Read

Seven Ways You Can Dress Like The Cast Of 'Little Women' In 2019

Seven Ways You Can Dress Like The Cast Of 'Little Women' In 2019

Emma Watson Showed Us A New Way Of Wearing Thigh-High Boots At The 'Little Women' Premiere

Emma Watson Showed Us A New Way Of Wearing Thigh-High Boots At The 'Little Women' Premiere

The 10 Most Memorable Moments for Women In 2019

The 10 Most Memorable Moments for Women In 2019

Why Are Doctors Ignoring Our Pain? It's Called the 'Gender Pain Gap'

Why Are Doctors Ignoring Our Pain? It's Called the 'Gender Pain Gap'

A Third Of Men Think It’s “Unprofessional” To Discuss Periods At Work

A Third Of Men Think It’s “Unprofessional” To Discuss Periods At Work

  1. Home
  2. News

It’s Been 5 Years Since Emma Watson Launched The #HeForShe Movement

What’s changed? - by Alley Pascoe
  • 18 Sep 2019
It’s Been 5 Years Since Emma Watson Launched The #HeForShe Movement
Getty

Five years ago, on September 20 2014, Emma Watson stood in front of a podium at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and delivered a speech that incited a worldwide movement.

“I am reaching out to you because I need your help. We want to end gender inequality – and to do that we need everyone to be involved,” she said, directly addressing men around the globe. “Men – I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too.”

And so, the #HeForShe movement began: a call to action to men and boys to be advocates for gender equality and allies to their female peers.

Because, as Watson noted, equality isn’t just a women’s issue, it affects blokes too.

“We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence,” Watson added. “I want 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.”

As the slogan tee says: We should all be feminists.

x
Getty

Following Watson’s impassioned speech, actor Benedict Cumberbatch committed to only working on projects where women are paid the same as men.

When Mark Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million for reshoots on the film All The Money In The World – compared to Michelle Williams’ $1,000 – he donated the full amount to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund in Williams’ name, saying, “I one hundred per cent support the fight for fair pay.”

And then there’s that viral clip of Tom Hardy calling out a journalist at a Mad Max press conference for asking if Hardy was bothered by having so many women in a “man’s movie".

Male allies are stepping up in Hollywood – and across workplaces in Australia.

unwomenaust View Profile
37 likes - View Post on Instagram
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the #HeForShe movement! 🎉🎉🎉 What began in 2014 as a pathway for men to commit their support for women's rights and gender equality has now become so much more. Five years on, the #HeForShe movement has become a platform for everyone, regardless of gender to stand in solidarity for a world where we all have equal rights and opportunities. For men, women and gender diverse people to commit to transforming words into actions and accelerating gender equality in their everyday lives. Today we invite you to make the HeForShe commitment in support of the world's women and girls. As we strive for a gender equal world, we are more powerful together. Will you join us? To make the commitment, follow the link in our bio. - #HeForShe5 #WeareHeForShe #genderequality #womensrights #equalrights #humanrights #unwomenaust #unwomen #womensempowerment #equalityforall #equality #foragenderequalworld #HeForSheCommitment #forequality

But, of course, gender inequality is still a huge issue that needs to be addressed.

For one, Harvey Weinstein still isn’t behind bars.

The gender pay-gap in Hollywood is still $1.1 million per film (despite Cumberbatch's pledge), and in Australia women still earn 14 per cent less than men.

As the UN notes, “There is no country in the world that has achieved gender equality.”

To change that, they’re moving the conversation forward, encouraging people of every gender identity and expression to stand together for the #HeForShe movement. It’s not just #HeForShe anymore. Now, it’s ‘We are #HeForShe’.

unwomen View Profile
42.2k likes - View Post on Instagram
Happy Birthday to our Goodwill Ambassador @emmawatson! Thanks for inspiring all of us to do better, speak up, and spark change!

For the next month, UN Women is inviting people around the world to make a pledge to equality.

The commitment is simple: “I am one of the millions who believe that everyone is born free and equal. I will take action against gender bias, discrimination and violence to bring the benefits of equality to us all.”

Join the movement by signing the commitment here: unwomen.org.au/campaign/heforshe/

Change is possible if we stand together. United. In solidarity.

As Watson said all those years ago: “Ask yourself, if not me, who? If not now, when?”

  • News
  • Career
  • Crime
  • International Women's Day
  • Celebrity
Alley Pascoe
Alley Pascoe
Alley Pascoe is marie claire’s Acting Features Editor and resident country music fan. She spends her days interviewing inspirational women, including career highlights Kasey Chambers, Serena Williams and Julia Roberts (for seven minutes on the phone).

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

6 issues for $35 -

Subscribe to marie claire

Subscribe Now
6 issues for $35

Recommended to you

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows
Watch 4:43

MAFS' Aleks and Ivan exchange wedding vows

{headline}

{headline}

Just How Much Has Changed A Year After the #MeToo Movement?

Just How Much Has Changed A Year After the #MeToo Movement?

Emma Watson Just Gave An Incredible Speech About Gender Equality

Emma Watson Just Gave An Incredible Speech About Gender Equality

Kate Beckinsale Reveals A Horrific Incident With Harvey Weinstein

Kate Beckinsale Reveals A Horrific Incident With Harvey Weinstein

Pip Edwards Shares An Emotional Letter To Her Son

Pip Edwards Shares An Emotional Letter To Her Son

{headline}

{headline}

Emma Watson Has Launched An Online Tool That Calculates The Eco-Impact Of Your Fashion Consumption

Emma Watson Has Launched An Online Tool That Calculates The Eco-Impact Of Your Fashion Consumption

Emma Watson Compared Taylor Swift to Jo March In ‘Little Women’

Emma Watson Compared Taylor Swift to Jo March In ‘Little Women’

The Cast Of 'Harry Potter' Have Reunited And The Pictures Are Adorable

The Cast Of 'Harry Potter' Have Reunited And The Pictures Are Adorable

{headline}

{headline}

It Will Take 257 Years For The Gender Pay Gap To Close

It Will Take 257 Years For The Gender Pay Gap To Close

Emma Watson Has Hidden Copies Of 'Little Women' Across The World For Us To Read

Emma Watson Has Hidden Copies Of 'Little Women' Across The World For Us To Read

Seven Ways You Can Dress Like The Cast Of 'Little Women' In 2019

Seven Ways You Can Dress Like The Cast Of 'Little Women' In 2019

Emma Watson Showed Us A New Way Of Wearing Thigh-High Boots At The 'Little Women' Premiere

Emma Watson Showed Us A New Way Of Wearing Thigh-High Boots At The 'Little Women' Premiere

The 10 Most Memorable Moments for Women In 2019

The 10 Most Memorable Moments for Women In 2019

Why Are Doctors Ignoring Our Pain? It's Called the 'Gender Pain Gap'

Why Are Doctors Ignoring Our Pain? It's Called the 'Gender Pain Gap'

A Third Of Men Think It’s “Unprofessional” To Discuss Periods At Work

A Third Of Men Think It’s “Unprofessional” To Discuss Periods At Work

MarieClaire
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • Home Beautiful
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • Practical Parenting
  • All Recipes
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Marie Claire

Magazine Subscription Offer

6 issues for $35 -

Shop This Offer
6 issues for $35