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#HeForShe Campaign Launches Pilot Effort Aimed at Institutional Equality

The United Nations’ gender equality campaign #HeForShe has launched a new program called IMPACT 10X10X10.

via UN Women
via UN Women

United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, together with UN Women Executive DirectorPhumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, introduced the  one-year pilot effort aimed at encouraging corporations, universities, and governments to play an active role in enhancing women’s empowerment and equality in Davos, Switzerland today at the World Economic Forum.

“Women need to be equal participants in our homes, societies, in our governments, and in our workplaces,” Watson said.

First introduced in September, HeForShe is a solidarity movement that calls on men and boys to confront gender inequalities that face women and girls globally. Watson said that the positive feedback and support she and the campaign have gotten since September was “breathtaking,” and an important step in the direction of women’s social and economic parity. “I couldn’t have dreamed it,” she said, particularly in reference to the overwhelming number of signatures to HeForShe online commitment, as well as social media support using the HeForShe hashtag.

Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, followed Watson’s speech with a promise to support the HeForShe initiative, and enlist men to join the campaign. He spoke of his success in involving the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, adding “I know that our world will not change until men think differently about their roles.”

Media Resources: HeForShe.org; HuffingtonPost 1/23/15; UN Women News 1/22/15; UNOG.ch 1/23/15;

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