Emma Watson Launches New Gender Equality Initiative at Davos
Following the overwhelmingly positive response Emma Watson received to her first speech on gender equality, the actress decided to take her campaign to Davos on Friday to continue to spread her message. Speaking on behalf of United Nations Women in her role as goodwill ambassador, she addressed the world’s most prestigious politicians and business leaders at the World Economic Forum regarding her HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10 pilot initiative.
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The yearlong project aims to advance women by collaborating with companies, governments, and schools around the world. “It is my belief that there is a greater understanding than ever that women need to be equal participants in our homes, in our societies, in our governments, and in our work places,” she said. “They know that the world is being held back in every way, because they are not. Women share this planet 50/50 and they are under-represented, their potential astonishingly untapped.”
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The Harry Potter star’s September speech was so impactful that it brought enough traffic to the U.N. Women’s website to crash it (that’s Kate Middleton-level idolatry — except it’s a powerful cause as opposed to fashion). Her words quickly went viral and the hashtag #HeforShe trended on social media platforms worldwide and has since been used about 1.2 billion times on Twitter.
While her first act as a representative of the United Nations was to lay the groundwork as to what feminism is—wanting equality of the sexes and making the masses understand this simple definition—her Davos speech is her call to action. “I’ve had my breath taken away when a fan told me since watching my speech she has stopped herself being beaten up by her father. We are tapping into what the world wants: to be a part of change. Now we have to channel that energy into purposeful action,” she said. “Decide what your commitment is, make it public, and report back so we can share your story. We want to support and reinforce your efforts.”