Gender inequality has been a major issue in society for centuries. Whether it’s in ancient civilizations or everyday life, there have been many attempts to change society’s view on males and females. HeForShe is a campaign against society’s opinions and expectations of the two genders. The members believe that all people, regardless of gender, should strive for equality between men and women. Men are being taught that feminism only applies to females, and therefore turn away from this conflict; HeForShe encourages men to do their part in the fight against inequality and speak up for equivalent treatment for both.

Women of the United Nations created HeForShe to draw more attention towards gender inequality and to end this predicament once and for all. Almost 200,000 men, including Barack Obama, Matt Damon, and Ban Ki Moon, have clicked the “I agree” button on the HeForShe website, showing their support for this movement and females all over the world.

Matt Perez ’17 comments, “Both genders should be equal.”

As shown on the HeForShe website, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, advocates for this movement: “Violence against women and girls is a global problem; it harms women, families, communities, and societies. We can only stop it by working together. Men and women.”

Jennifer Huang ’18 agrees with this statement, arguing, “If men truly believe that both genders should have equal rights, then they should stand up for women as well.” In order to reach their goal, participants plan to work with schools, programs, and even governments to ensure that both men and women are seen as equals.

HeForShe has also formed ways that people outside of politics can show their support for the cause. Celebrities, such as Emma Watson, one of the main advocates of the campaign, use their fame to spread the word about the battle for gender equality. The video of her speech, given at the United Nations, has more than one million views on YouTube. An Instagram post displays a quote from the actress, which states that if “men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.”

In addition, many individuals use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more to announce their commitment to the movement. With the help of all of its contributors, HeForShe is reaching out to the males of our society to step up and speak up for fair treatment for themselves and their counterparts.

Although HeForShe has many followers, there are those who are against the idea of men standing up for women. Some think that men are under the negative influence of gender stereotypes and discrimination as well, and that HeForShe is focusing too much on men defending women. These people point out that there are many instances where males have been mistreated in the same ways that females have been. However, these occurrences have been overlooked because of the gender of the victim.

In an article in Time magazine titled “Sorry, Emma Watson, but HeForShe is Rotten for Men,” Cathy Young writes, “These attitudes stem from traditional gender norms which treat victimhood, especially at a woman’s hands, as unmanly.” The article goes on saying that while gender equality is something to strive for, women have just as much responsibility when it comes to standing up for men’s rights. Young suggests that the movement should not be called “He for She.” Instead, it should be “She and He for Us.”

Gender inequality impacts everyone, regardless of gender. Who will you stand up for? For more information on HeForShe, visit www.heforshe.org.