Originally published on the CGS blog on March 4, 2016.
#ThankYouMexico for finally joining the #HeforShe campaign fighting for gender equality!
#HeforShe was created by UN Women,whichwas established to accelerate progress on meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide. The campaign has been famously supported by Emma Watson, who made an extraordinary speech at the UN in support of this global movement. The goal is not only to discuss positive change, but to make it happen with real action.
The campaign’s main focus has been on encouraging men and boys to take action against inequalities faced by women and girls. Unlike most social media movements, the #HeforShe campaign has existed for a few years, but its momentum has not come to a halt. The campaign continues to grow, reaching hundreds of thousands of men and women worldwide. Currently the countries leading in participation and support include the United States, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Mexico and Canada. In Iceland, 1 in 18 men have made the #HeForShe commitment, the highest percentage in the world.
And finally, Mexico has officially joined the campaign. At the launch event, Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said, “Women’s cause should always be our cause–the cause of men, this initiative calls us to deepen our reflection on our roles, attitudes and beliefs, and take down those practices that, without realizing it, distance us from our ideal of equality.” Perhaps the most influential part of Mexico’s campaign launch was the release of the video showing both men and women in their daily lives reversing conventional gender roles and performances:
Nos unimos a la campaña internacional Nosotros por Ellas #HeForShe de ONU Mujeres, la cual tiene como objetivo impulsar la igualdad de género y promocionar los DerechosHumanos de las #Mujeres.
Posted by gobmx on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
For all of their progress, Mexico still has a long way to go when it comes to gender equality and women’s rights. According to a Thompson Reuters Foundation survey, Mexico was ranked as one of the worst countries among industrialized nations in which to be a woman. Two-thirds of women in Mexico are victims of domestic violence. This number is unfathomable and unacceptable.
The UN Women Representative for Mexico, Ana Güezmes, said,
Despite the progress achieved in the last century, the hopes for real equality, substantive equality, in fact, are far from being realized.”
The campaign has not come close to achieving worldwide gender equality. However, with growing support, country by country, there may be hope for a gender equal world in the future.
