FullTranscriptofEmmaWatson'sSpeechonGenderEqualityattheUNSeptember20,2014

TodaywearelaunchingacampaigncalledforHeForShe.Iamreachingouttoyoubecauseweneed
yourhelp.Wewanttoendgenderinequality,andtodothis,weneedeveryoneinvolved.Thisisthe
firstcampaignofitskindattheUN.Wewanttotrytomobilizeasmanymenandboysaspossibleto
beadvocatesforchange.And,wedontjustwanttotalkaboutit.Wewanttotryandmakesurethat
itstangible.
IwasappointedasGoodwillAmbassadorforUNWomensixmonthsago.And,themoreIspoke
aboutfeminism,themoreIrealizedthatfightingforwomensrightshastoooftenbecome
synonymouswithmanhating.IfthereisonethingIknowforcertain,itisthatthishastostop.
Fortherecord,feminismbydefinitionisthebeliefthatmenandwomenshouldhaveequalrightsand
opportunities.Itisthetheoryofpolitical,economicandsocialequalityofthesexes.
Istartedquestioninggenderbasedassumptionsalongtimeago.WhenIwas8,Iwasconfusedfor
beingcalledbossybecauseIwantedtodirecttheplaysthatwewouldputonforourparents,butthe
boyswerenot.Whenat14,Istartedtobesexualizedbycertainelementsofthemedia.Whenat15,
mygirlfriendsstarteddroppingoutofsportsteamsbecausetheydidntwanttoappearmuscly.When
at18,mymalefriendswereunabletoexpresstheirfeelings.
IdecidedthatIwasafeminist,andthisseemeduncomplicatedtome.Butmyrecentresearchhas
shownmethatfeminismhasbecomeanunpopularword.Womenarechoosingnottoidentifyas
feminists.Apparently,Imamongtheranksofwomenwhoseexpressionsareseenastoostrong,too
aggressive,isolating,andantimen.Unattractive,even.
Whyhasthewordbecomesuchanuncomfortableone?IamfromBritain,andIthinkitisrightIam
paidthesameasmymalecounterparts.IthinkitisrightthatIshouldbeabletomakedecisions
aboutmyownbody.Ithinkitisrightthatwomenbeinvolvedonmybehalfinthepoliciesand
decisionsthatwillaffectmylife.Ithinkitisrightthatsocially,Iamaffordedthesamerespectasmen.
Butsadly,Icansaythatthereisnoonecountryintheworldwhereallwomencanexpecttosee
theserights.Nocountryintheworldcanyetsaythattheyachievedgenderequality.Theserights,I
considertobehumanrights,butIamoneoftheluckyones.
MylifeisasheerprivilegebecausemyparentsdidntlovemelessbecauseIwasbornadaughter.
MyschooldidnotlimitmebecauseIwasagirl.Mymentorsdidn'tassumethatIwouldgolessfar
becauseImightgivebirthtoachildoneday.Theseinfluenceswerethegenderequality
ambassadorsthatmademewhoIamtoday.Theymaynotknowit,buttheyaretheinadvertent
feministsthatarechangingtheworldtoday.Weneedmoreofthose.
In1997,HillaryClintonmadeafamousspeechinBeijingaboutwomensrights.Sadly,manyofthe
thingsthatshewantedtochangearestilltruetoday.Butwhatstoodoutformethemostwasthatless
thanthirtypercentoftheaudienceweremale.Howcanweeffectchangeintheworldwhenonlyhalf
ofitisinvitedorfeelwelcometoparticipateintheconversation?
Men,Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytoextendyourformalinvitation.Genderequalityisyour
issue,too.Becausetodate,Iveseenmyfathersroleasaparentbeingvaluedlessbysociety,

despitemyneedofhispresenceasachild,asmuchasmymothers.Iveseenyoungmensuffering
frommentalillness,unabletoaskforhelpforfearitwouldmakethemlessofaman.Infact,inthe
UK,suicideisthebiggestkillerofmenbetween20to49,eclipsingroadaccidents,cancerand
coronaryheartdisease.Iveseenmenmadefragileandinsecurebyadistortedsenseofwhat
constitutesmalesuccess.Mendonthavethebenefitsofequality,either.
Wedontoftentalkaboutmenbeingimprisonedbygenderstereotypes,butIcanseethattheyare,
andthatwhentheyarefree,thingswillchangeforwomenasanaturalconsequence.Ifmendont
havetobeaggressiveinordertobeaccepted,womenwontfeelcompelledtobesubmissive.Ifmen
donthavetocontrol,womenwonthavetobecontrolled.
Bothmenandwomenshouldfeelfreetobesensitive.Bothmenandwomenshouldfeelfreetobe
strong.Itistimethatweallperceivegenderonaspectrum,insteadoftwosetsofopposingideals.If
westopdefiningeachotherbywhatwearenot,andstartdefiningourselvesbywhoweare,wecan
allbefreer,andthisiswhatHeForSheisabout.Itsaboutfreedom.
Iwantmentotakeupthismantlesothattheirdaughters,sisters,andmotherscanbefreefrom
prejudice,butalsosothattheirsonshavepermissiontobevulnerableandhumantoo,reclaimthose
partsofthemselvestheyabandoned,andindoingso,beamoretrueandcompleteversionof
themselves.
Youmightbethinking,WhoisthisHarryPottergirl,andwhatisshedoingspeakingattheUN?And,
itsareallygoodquestion.Ivebeenaskingmyselfthesamething.
AllIknowisthatIcareaboutthisproblem,andIwanttomakeitbetter.And,havingseenwhatIve
seen,andgiventhechance,Ifeelitismyresponsibilitytosaysomething.
StatesmanEdmundBurkesaid,Allthatisneededfortheforcesofeviltotriumphisforgoodmen
andwomentodonothing.
Inmynervousnessforthisspeechandinmymomentsofdoubt,Itoldmyselffirmly,Ifnotme,who?
Ifnotnow,when?Ifyouhavesimilardoubtswhenopportunitiesarepresentedtoyou,Ihopethose
wordswillbehelpful.Becausetherealityisthatifwedonothing,itwilltakeseventyfiveyears,orfor
metobenearly100,beforewomencanexpecttobepaidthesameasmenforthesamework.15.5
milliongirlswillbemarriedinthenext16yearsaschildren.Andatcurrentrates,itwon'tbeuntil2086
beforeallruralAfricangirlscanhaveasecondaryeducation.
Ifyoubelieveinequality,youmightbeoneofthoseinadvertentfeministsthatIspokeofearlier,and
forthis,Iapplaudyou.Wearestrugglingforaunitingword,butthegoodnewsis,wehaveauniting
movement.ItiscalledHeForShe.Iinviteyoutostepforward,tobeseenandtoaskyourself,Ifnot
me,who?Ifnotnow,when?
Thankyouvery,verymuch.