HeForShe

On 23 January 2015, UN Women launched the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 initiative to gain further momentum in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment at the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos.[20] Global leaders serving as the founding champions include former H.E. President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone; H.E. Prime Minister Stefan Löfvén of Sweden; Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever; Rick Goings, former chairman and CEO of Tupperware Brands Corporation.[21]

In 2016, the Thematic Champions initiative was launched to engage further global leaders, who make gender equality an institutional priority by implementing one bold, game-changing commitments to advance and achieve gender equality. As of July 2020, the Thematic Champions included Justin Trudeau, PM from Canada; Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, CEO of BNP Paribas; Bruce Cleaver, CEO from De Beers Group.[22]

As part of these initiatives, HeForShe has been holding an annual summit since 2015, where global HeForShe Champions from both initiatives and other high-profile people present their gender equality solutions to the world.[23]

While the HeForShe 2019 Impact Report found that there is still a wage gap between men and women, business, universities, and other entities that participate in the initiative have contributed to a dynamic shift in gender parity in terms of representation in senior leadership positions.[24]

The HeForShe Proven Solution on How to Achieve Parity in Global Leadership was produced as several HeForShe Champions' organisations including Price Waterhouse Coppers, World Bank, McKinsey & Company whom all have increased female representation in their global leadership team, setting out a roadmap for other organizations.

The HeForShe Male Allies Guide for Gender Equality – Tips for Understanding and Managing Your Emotions, was built on a programme pioneered by the Government of Finland, a HeForShe IMPACT Champion, to enlist army conscripts to prevent violence against women.[25][26]

To raise awareness on gender equality challenges such as mental load, gender-based violence and discrimination, and to engage men in the conversation, HeForShe holds on a regular basis campaigns on social media alongside the in-person global campaigns. These include What We Share Is More Powerful Than What Divides Us, #MorePowerfulTogether, #YearOfMaleAllyship and #HeForSheAtHome.[27]

Launched in September 2018, the #MorePowerfulTogether campaign invited landmarks around the world, most notably The Empire State Building in New York City, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the CN Tower in Toronto, to turn off half their lights to demonstrate the power lost when women are underrepresented from society, economies and communities.[28]

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as gender inequalities, particularly of women in the home, became increasingly apparent when it comes to housework, cleaning and caring for children, the sick or the elderly, HeForShe launched the #HeForSheAtHome campaign to inspire men to help balance the burden in their households. In sharing the stories of positive male role models sharing the work at home from all over the world, #HeForSheAtHome seeks to inspire many more to do their fair share and to reduce women's mental load.[29]

The success of HeForShe can be seen through the Civil Society's numerous and impactful actions worldwide. HeForShe Taverns have been set up throughout South Africa to initiate conversations with men about engaging with women without being abusive in taverns, as they are mostly men-dominated.[30] Further HeForShe Equality Stories include boys and men cycling through rural India to shift positively traditional gender norms,[31] and boys and men redefining masculinity in Jordan.[32] Students engage very much, as a #GetFree tour was organised throughout universities to initiative gender equality ideas in North America, and over 100 HeForShe student clubs are active worldwide.[33] The Civil Society is able to engage via the online HeForShe Action Kit.[34]

HeForShe has been partnering with numerous organisations to advance gender equality in sports, including the Valencia Club de Fútbol (CF), one of Europe's major football teams[35] and Fenerbahçe Sports Club, one of Turkey's most popular sports club.[36] The HeForShe Champions also engage by raising awareness on gender equality through their own sports events such as the Danone Nations Cup[37] and the BNP Paribas Tennis Open.[38]

On September 23, 2021, HeForShe announced the launch of the HeForShe Alliance, signifying a new era of commitment to action following the footsteps of the Generation Equality Forum.[39]

New Members

From Business: Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, Yannick Bolloré, Chairman of Vivendi’s Supervisory Board and CEO and Chairman of Havas Group, John A. Zecca, Global Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer, Nasdaq, Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company, Bob Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC International Limited and Nick Read, CEO, Vodafone.[39]

From Non-profit: Robert Mardini, Director-General, International Committee of the Red Cross, David Miliband, CEO & President, International Rescue Committee, David Haggerty, President, International Tennis Federation, Kate Robertson & David Jones, Founders, One Young World.[39]

From Academia: Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President, Howard University and Ilian Mihov, Dean, INSEAD.[39]

The rhetoric around violence and inequality against women, specifically in instances of assault, has many activists claiming that the responsibility is shifted from perpetrator to victim. Watson's speech focuses on the way men can play an active role in advancing political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.[40] Watson's speech was criticized for focusing only on women and ignoring sexist biases against men and reinforce the very inequality it is trying to erase.[41][42] Watson's heavy emphasis on women's dependence on men's support lead to criticisms that HeForShe grants men the leading role in the campaign, reinforcing and perpetuating gender inequality.[42]

Although HeForShe has actively represented LGBTQ+ issues alongside sister campaign United Nations Free & Equal,[43] some have expressed concerns that the name of the movement leaves behind non-binary, transgender, and genderqueer individuals, and reinforcement of the gender binary.[44][45]

Watson was also criticized by other feminists for being privileged, wealthy, and white, yet speaking on behalf of women who do not fit into that category.[46] More criticism by feminists followed after Watson delivered her speech. One criticism, published in The New York Times, was due to the name of the campaign, HeForShe, and Watson asking men to pledge to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls, yet without elaborating on the problems affecting men and boys.[41] The name of the campaign was also criticized due to the implication that men should not care about feminism because it may improve things for them, but rather, they should care about feminism because it will improve things for women, and that men were being painted as the saviors of women.[47][45]