Social Media Impact On Gender Equality

Have you ever thought what a world without human rights would be like? Mahatma Gandhi, Harriet Tubman, and Emma Watson don’t have to. Notwithstanding, each of them has a different strategy, all three of them want the same thing: for everyone to be granted the same rights. Gandhi’s most prominent goal was for South Africa to become its own country, far from the unforgiving government of Britain. Harriet, unlike the other two, was sworn to secrecy, for freeing slaves was illegal at the time. Emma Watson is the face of HeForShe, a campaign for the advancement of equality of both men and women. These three individuals all persevered through difficult challenges and heroically stood up for what they believe in.

She is one of the world’s most famous feminists in the twenty-first century. Since the age of eight, Watson has experienced gender-based assumptions that prepare her for a life of ridicule and degrading. She incorporates habit one in her life at the age of 14 when the press would start to sexualize her. Living a proactive life, her “expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men, and unattractive” (qtd. in Watson 1). In her speech, she describes what her goals are and what her rights should be. Watson began her journey with the end in mind, similar to the lesson habit two teaches. Her goal is to have equal rights for women and men

Fighting for rights does not have to be violent. Mother Jones fought for child labor laws, Cesar Chavez fought for migrant workers’ rights, and Gandhi fought for independence from Britain. Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, and Mahatma Gandhi all helped to enact change by using peaceful methods to get their points across.

Fighting for rights doesn’t have to be violent. Mother Jones fought for child labor laws, Cesar Chavez fought for migrant workers’ rights, and Gandhi fought for independence from Britain. Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, and Mahatma Gandhi all helped to enact change by using peaceful methods to get their points across.

Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, and Malala Yousafzai all fought for the rights that they believed in. They all were leaders part of a big picture. Although these three individuals used different methods to get their point across, they all had courage to speak out about injustice and improve human rights.

Making a difference isn’t an easy assignment to do, but if an individual does, they become a hero. Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr, and Gandhi are three heros of the past that will never be forgotten. Their moral integrity is what made them so memorable. Posterities to come will always have these men’s actions and decisions on their minds. Even though some people might have their own opinions, they will always be remembered as “the men who made a difference”.

We choose to follow the crowd, rarely does anyone dare to be different. Feminism has been a problem not just within one country but within the whole orbiting globe. Emma Watson believes that the world can change; men and women can become united and treated as equals.

Throughout history women specifically have felt the need to change their physical appearance in order to be accepted by societies beauty ideal. Social media has influenced women to believe that the word “beauty” defines the outward appearance according to the internets definition — “beauty is a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” The definition itself allows anyone to mistakenly interpret the word “beauty” to determine whether or not the physical appearance is attractive enough to be considered beautiful. There are so many emphasis placed on a person’s physical appearance that makes one “beautiful" and “desirable" such the numbers on a scale or measurement, youth, color of skin, etc., but for those who do not meet the media’s ideal expectations are judged or ridiculed. Social media perceives a strong influence on women and what people define beauty to be, but realistically, humans are built to be compelled by enhanced images that are presented in advertisement that create an illusion and fantasy that people admire. The ideal physical appearance that is propagated tends to connect with numerous organizations whose profits promote cosmetics to illuminate facial structures, photoshopped images of famous figures seen in magazines or ads, and cosmetic procedures including liposuction, breast enlargement, and plastic surgery to attain the perfect body ideal. With the continuation of women believing in

On September 20, 2014, Emma Watson delivered a speech to the United Nations to address the issue of gender inequality. She spoke to gain support and involvement, to make a difference for something she felt strongly about, by advocating the ‘HeForShe’ campaign. Emma employed all three rhetorical appeals in her speech which gave her an incredibly effective argument. Emma Watson, “one of the most well-known actresses in the world” (“Emma Watson (II)”), is also a very strong and passionate person. She was born in Paris, France, to two English parents.

Throughout history and having coalesced to the present, feminism has begun to crescendo as a movement for social, political, and economic equality of both sexes. Acting as an ambassador and an embodiment of an agent of change, Emma Watson and her speech can be seen as a catalyst against gender inequality. Her speech is a buttress to the feminism movement as it utilizes factual information to corroborate Watson’s credibility, which then permeates to the sentiment of listeners. Through her delivery and tone burgeoning with passion, an amalgamation of the paradigm between speaker and the audience is seen being masterfully cultivated. The fact that this audience is the United Nation's committee, Emma Watson can be seen as a global ambassador for female rights. Through Watson's virulent stance against gender stereotypes, inequality, and bias, the feminism proclamation is guaranteed to not fall on deaf ears.

Gender inequality has been an issue in society for hundreds of years and it is still a barrier for men and women today. Emma Watson, a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador and British actress, delivered a passionate and moving speech on gender inequality at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 20, 2014. Watson’s speech, “Be The He For She”, was directed towards the billions of people who watched the televised speech, as well as fellow United Nations Ambassadors. Emma Watson uses this speech in order to inform and persuade the audience about gender inequality and feminism. As she presented her speech, she was trying to persuade billions of people, mostly men, to become advocates for ending gender inequality.

“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are.” States British Actress and Ambassador for UN Women Goodwill, Emma Watson, in her persuasive speech, “HeForShe.” Watson speaks to “galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality” (Watson). For centuries women’s rights have been fought for as well as debated for, paying little to no attention to the inequality of men.

The media is trying to condition women into thinking that they need to look a certain way and be a certain weight to be beautiful and to fit in. With pictures and advertisements of unrealistic looking women selling the next best thing to help us achieve beauty and acceptance. And cyber bullies that have nothing better to do than belittle someone and body shame people are having a big impact on the way women and men see themselves and it needs to stop. I feel that we have come a long way in society from even two or three years ago, with women like Demi Lovato, Mellissa McCarthy and more putting positive body images and messages on social media telling women young and old to love their body the way it is.

Children in the US and throughout the world should be taught at a young age that traditional gender roles aren 't a necessity in todays world. They should be taught early on that certain individuals fit and want their traditional roles and some go outside the typical traditional role. Emma Watson, who is involved in the “He for She” project in the UN has done research on how, many young women aren’t given the chance to learn or be who they want, because of how gender roles are accepted socially. She has come to realize that she is one of the lucky ones as she said in her speech for “He for She”, “My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn’t love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn 't assume that I would go less far because I might give birth to a child one day.”( Watson). Ms. Watson has also come to realize that men should also be a part of this

Emma Watson, best known as a leading actress in the Harry Potter series, gave a speech titled “Gender equality is your issue too” during a HeForShe campaign at the United Nations headquarters in New York City during on September 20, 2014, in attempt to raise awareness about gender inequality. Throughout the speech, Watson attempted to persuade the audience in joining the HeForShe campaign by providing examples of those who have been subject to the burdens of gender inequality – however, this speech could be considered problematic due to Watson’s lack of credibility and failure to include all types of people in our society.