Charity Spotlight: HeforShe Initiative

By: Lindsay Flanagan

Who: Emma Watson

Charity: HeforShe Initiative

Why This Charity Is Significant:

Emma Watson is widely-known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films and she recently starred in the live-action version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Aside from acting, Watson is very active in the fight for a gender-equal world. She is the Global Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women and, with the support and power of UN Women, was the driving force behind the HeforShe initiative. UNWomen is an organization that champions equality for women and girls. So, the HeforShe initiative certainly fits under their umbrella of missions. HeforShe strives to change gender inequality in the world and the way the world views feminism. The campaign doesn’t just focus on women’s rights—it focuses on human rights.

HeforShe takes action in various areas to provide awareness and opportunities for women and girls to be treated equally. HeforShe is working toward a gender-equal world by focusing on the following:

• Education should be available to everyone
• Health care should be affordable for all and that each person should be able to make their own health decisions
• Gender identity should not be a barrier to one’s endeavors
• Equal pay in the workforce is something that should be happening now
• Violence against women and girls must stop now
• Women should have a more prominent voice in politics

HeforShe, with UNWomen, holds and supports several events, auctions and forums throughout the year.

How You Can Get Involved:

Donations are accepted for any of the above initiatives. To donate, visit the HeforShe website at http://www.heforshe.org/en. Another way to get involved is to hold your own gender equality event and submit it to be included in the HeforShe country and international commitments totals, showing how you are striving for a gender-equal world. You can commit to the campaign by signing up for their newsletter to receive information, news, and upcoming events and auctions. HeforShe is headquartered with the UNWomen in New York City.

Follow On Social Media:

@HeForShe

@UN_Women

@EmmaWatson