Emma enlightens Davos on gender equality

Davod: If Emma Watson could wave a wand to achieve gender equality, she surely would, but for now she’s fighting for the good cause. The Harry Potter actress delivered another powerful speech on Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In her role as UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, she helped unveil the next phase of the HeForShe initiative called the IMPACT 10X10X10. “We need all-country leadership, as well as that of hundreds of universities and corporations, to follow HeForShe’s IMPACT 10X10X10 so as to bring an end to the persisting inequalities faced by women and girls globally,” said Watson.

Watson said she had been overwhelmed by the support she had received since speaking at the launch of HeForShe – a UN campaign that attempts to include men in the battle for gender equality – in New York last September. In that speech she extended a “formal invitation” to men to participate in the conversation about gender equality in a “uniting movement”.

At Davos she said: “I’ve been stunned by the amount of men in my life that have contacted me since my speech to tell me to keep going, and that they want to make sure that their daughters will still be alive to see a world where women have power and equality, economically and politically.”

The actor spoke passionately about a fan who told her that since hearing her speak she had been able to escape the cycle of her father’s violence.

“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.”

Watson concluded her speech by saying: “Women share this planet 50/50 and they are underrepresented, their potential astonishingly untapped. We are very excited to be launching IMPACT 10X10X10 to bring HeForShe into its next phase… I’m here to ask you: What is the impact you can have? How, what, where, when, and with whom? We want to help. We want to know. And we want to hear from you.”

Watson was joined by a panel including UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who emphasised Watson’s appeal to men to be a key to influencing the fight for gender equality.