It’s been a big week for those who keep up with gender equality and inequality. The most notable was U.N. ambassador Emma Watson’s speech about feminism.
Her speech marked the launch of her “HeForShe” campaign, intended to rally boys and men globally into advocates for gender equality and take a firm stand against sexual violence.
“My recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word,” Watson said after identifying herself as a feminist before U.N. “Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and unattractive.”
Of the stigma, it’s important to note one in particular: that feminism is “anti-men.” It’s not a new idea; in fact, opponents of feminism have been calling it an anti-man hate movement since its inception with the suffragettes of the early 20th century. It’s a criticism that not only lacks precedent or foundation, but also lacks reason.
Men hear women want equality and automatically assume it’s an attack on men. Feminism should not be about men. Women just want to be treated fairly and not discriminated against due to their sex.
As journalist Jane Galvin Lewis said, “You don’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.”
Fortunately, though, it seems more men are taking these issues to heart, as this past week also saw the launch of the It’s On Us campaign. Meant to localize on college campuses, It’s On Us is a campaign geared toward addressing and speaking up against sexual assault.
Proponents and spokespeople for It’s On Us include Jon Hamm, Kerry Washington, Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama.
“It’s on us,” they say in the campaign video, “to take responsibility.”
That much is true. It is up to all of us to speak against behavior that could potentially indicate some form of sexual assault. As men especially, it is our duty to ensure we set an example for other men.
It is important men identify as feminist or, at the very least, pro-feminist—depending on his level of involvement within the movement. But it is also important that men do not invade the safe environment feminism has created for women.
When we speak over or for women, all we are doing is extending our sense of male entitlement—something at the core of patriarchal oppression—into that which is meant to combat it.
Male entitlement definitely exists, and problematically so, outside of feminism. For evidence, just see YouTube celebrity Sam Pepper’s latest video, “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank,” in which he talks to unsuspecting women on the street and grabs their butts when they’re distracted. That he thought he could encroach on something so personal as a woman’s body and in such a public sphere is an unforgivable paragon of male entitlement.
But it also exists in the women’s movement. Any time someone can only support a cause because it might affect his sister or his mother. Men need to understand that women are not important because they are connected to men sometimes; women are important because (and it sounds so elementary saying this) they are people.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt offers a great example of how to use a privileged male voice to bring about gender equality without speaking over women. He posted a video, “Re: Feminism,” claiming himself to be a feminist and asked people—women especially—to reply with what feminism means to them and why they feel it is important.
Gordon-Levitt said he would include their responses during a segment in his show hitRECord, effectively offering his show as a platform for women’s voices. The actor also urged people to watch Watson’s speech, again using his influence to direct people to hearing a prominent woman’s voice.
Men have a place in feminism, absolutely, but it’s subordinate. Part of supporting feminism is accepting that. We should follow Gordon-Levitt’s lead and use our voices to promote women’s rights.