1. SOC100 DB #
Prompt: Recently actress Emma Watson was named the UN Women's Goodwill
Ambassador. She spoke to the UN on her views of feminism and how men play a role in
feminism as well. The HeForShe Campaign calls on men to also become feminists. First, reflect
on your understanding of feminism, then listen to her speech (or google her transcript) and then
comment on whether you agree with men's role in gender equality as presented.
Feminism, as Ms. Watson said is: "The 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” (Watson
2014). I have always been an intersectional feminist, and I feel the need to specify this since the
concept of “white feminism” is so rampant in our society, when in truth that is not feminism. I
believe everyone should be equal no matter gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, disability,
political views, economic status or social status. I do believe that in order for this to become a
reality, all genders must be on board with the notion that we are all equal. In America we pride
ourselves of being “the land of the free,” yet we are not truly free.
Toxic masculinity surrounds our every movement, it portrays men as inherently sexually
aggressive, unemotional, violent people, it takes away the humanity of men, it slowly removes
men as human and replaces the gender with robotic sadists, which it is so obvious that most are
not this way and the ones that are, are this way due to the society they have grown up in, our
society.
Men have to understand that feminists fight for them, we fight for you to be able to show
emotions or wear pink without being called a “sissy” or (excuse my language) a “pussy.” Now to
some these seem arbitrary and “stupid,” well to those I pose the following: did you know that it
was feminists who helped change the definition of “rape” to include men as victims of this
horrible crime (S. 2016)? Did you know feminists have fought for the right for women to fight in
the military (S. 2016)? Or that feminism, currently, is fighting for men to get paid paternity leave
(S. 2016)? If you were shocked by those, you are not alone, many perceive feminism as being
solely a “woman’s problem with a woman’s answer,” when it’s truly an entire world’s problem
and answer.
Perhaps those three instances were flukes - is something you may be thinking, to that I present
the following facts:
Feminism has given our economy a huge and long-lasting boost. “Women’s integration in the
workforce after World War II translated into massive macroeconomic gains” (Plank 2015). What
this means is the more women allowed in the workforce, the more our economy flourishes.
For everyone who feels like their sex lives are going to go dry due to feminism: it is a “well-
known fact that women highly respect a guy who is willing to do his share around the house”
(Plank 2015), as is evidenced by “porn for women” slideshows which depict men in a domestic
sense, not only that but “Men who date feminists also report better relationship satisfaction and
better sex” (Filipovic 2007).
Feminists stand with male rape victims, prominent feminist activist Lovisa Stannow, advocated
on behalf of 200,000 inmates who were “sexually abused in U.S. prisons and jails every year,
most of whom are men” (Plank 2015). Her advocation led to the draft and eventual bill, The
Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, to get through Congress.

2. The National Organization for Women, along with many other social justice organizations were
the ones to “lead the efforts to change the definition of hate crimes to include gender, sexual
orientation, and disability” (Plank 2015). What this means is as of 2009, hate crimes not only
encompass “unlawful acts on the basis of race, religion and national origin” but now include
unlawful acts on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and disability (Plank 2015).
Women as a whole were deeply involved in demanding justice for AIDS victims in the 1980s, a
time where the disease had been labelled “gay cancer” (Plank 2015). A huge figurehead for the
movement was Princess Diana who was not only heavily involved with HIV/AIDS charities, but
was also the first prominent figure EVER to be photographed touching a person with the disease,
two things that had a “pivotal impact” on the public’s perception of AIDS (Plank 2015). If that
isn’t enough: the primary AIDS-fighting drug was also invented by a woman (Vare & Vare
2014).
Feminism, also, ensured that men get vital reproductive health services. Planned Parenthood,
which was founded by a woman and is generally perceived as “women’s health organization,”
provides services for men as well (Plank 2015). These services include the “testing and treatment
of STDs, including HIV testing, and sexual health information and education” according to
Planned Parenthood’s VP of Communications Eric Ferrero. Ferrero also said that “in the last ten
years, Planned Parenthood has more than doubled the number of male patients we see
nationwide for health issues that affect men.”
If you’re a male athlete: the next time you get hit in the gonads, you should be thanking women,
according to the book Patently Female: From AZT to TV Dinners, Stories of Women Inventors
and Their Breakthrough Ideas, written by Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek, the first jockstrap
was NOT invented by a man (C.F. Bennett is the first credited with the invention) but a woman.
In conclusion, yes, feminism helps women, but it also helps men, and men need to stand up for
equal rights because we, as women, have been so oppressed that the little dialect I have just
given is seen as a “feminazi post,” because I gave it, and therefore some men (and some women)
will not even take the time to read it and immediately call me derogatory names and tell me to
“get back in the kitchen.” I’m not saying this to be mean or callous. I am saying this because it
has literally happened every single time I have posted anything regarding feminism on any
social media site, and it (so far) has only come from white, able-bodied, straight, American men
and even a few women. The women always have roughly the same thoughts: I don’t feel
oppressed or I am not weak, I don’t need this. It has nothing to do with weakness, and secondly
just because you, yourself, do not feel oppressed doesn’t mean no one is oppressed. In the words
of Stephen Colbert: “Global warming isn’t real, because I was cold today! Also great news:
world hunger is over because I just ate.” Just because you, personally, do not experience it
doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
Emma Watson has brought the HeForShe campaign all around the world, just as she intended
and she continues to fight for equal rights for all. I will continue to fight for equal rights for all
people, no matter race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, social status, religion, disability,
ethnicity, or nationality.
References
Filipovic, J. (2007, October 17). Study Finds That Feminists Have Better Relationships, Sex

3. Lives. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from
http://www.alternet.org/story/65468/study_finds_that_feminists_have_better_relationships,_sex_
lives
Plank, E. (2015, October 25). 23 Ways Feminism Has Made the World a Better Place for Men.
Retrieved February 02, 2017, from https://mic.com/articles/88277/23-ways-feminism-has-made-
the-world-a-better-place-for-men#.7r75rEGBy
S. (2016, December 12). A Guy's Guide to Feminism: How Feminism Helps Men, Too.
Retrieved February 02, 2017, from http://www.flightandscarlet.com/feminism-helps-men/
Vare, E. A., & Vare, G. P. (2014, November 21). Patently Female: From AZT to TV Dinners,
Stories of Women Inventors and Their Breakthrough Ideas. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from
http://www.idsa.org/bookshelf/other/patently-female-azt-tv-dinners-stories-women-inventors-
and-their-breakthrough-ideas
Watson, E. C. (2014, September 20). Emma Watson Gender equality is your issue too. Retrieved
February 01, 2017, from http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-
gender-equality-is-your-issue-to