Emma Watson Speech Analysis

Emma Watson Speech Analysis Gender inequality has been a major problem for many years. Women have received unfair treatment in many aspects of life. Women continue to be denied equal pay in the workplace, are viewed as less valuable in some parts of the world, and are subjected to discrimination. Emma Watson speaks about gender equality, how feminism has been misinterpreted, and how toxic gender stereotypes are impacting men and women in her speech. Emma Watson's address is based on her new initiative, HeForShe, and she asks all listeners to join her in her fight for gender equality. Emma Watson makes it clear early on in her speech that the term "feminist" is misunderstood "The more I have spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hatred. If there's one thing I know for certain, it's that this has to come to an end1." 1. Her message is clear: feminism does not imply hating men or putting women above them. It's all about equality between men and women. Her HeForShe campaign is likewise based on this viewpoint. Emma Watson should emphasize this early on because she refers to herself as a feminist multiple times throughout the speech. Emma Watson takes gender disparity as her starting point, and she shares examples of her own experiences with it, including how she dealt with the consequences of gender inequality as a young girl. “When at 14 I started being sexualized by certain elements of the press. When at 15 my girlfriends started dropping out of their sports teams because they didn’t want to appear muscly2.” Emma Watson makes it clear that gender inequality is a problem that affects everyone. It's a problem that has such a bad impact and is so common that even young people are affected by it. included herself at the ages of 14 and 15. She uses ethos by letting the listener know that she has been through similar circumstances and that she not only has information, but also experience on the subject of gender discrimination. As a 1 Emma Watson, “Gender equality is your issue too”, 2014 (ll.5-8) 2 Emma Watson, “Gender equality is your issue too”, 2014 (ll.15-17) result, she gains trustworthiness and appears more trustworthy to her audience. Emma Watson also uses pathos in her description of her and her girlfriend's experiences. She reflects the current young girl and what she might go through by referring to these terrible situations from her childhood. She evokes the emotions of the listener by describing the discrimination and inequity that young girls experience. Through a strong statement, Emma Watson highlights some of the main issues that women face in society. “I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men3” Women face lots of issues, and Emma Watson makes it clear that they are deserved to all that they are refused or stolen of. Whether it's in terms of economics, politics, or social issues. In her speech, Emma Watson uses repetition by beginning each sentence with “I think it is right that.” She highlights her arguments and makes her statement remembered by doing so. Emma Watson highlights throughout her speech how men have a strong influence on gender inequality and how women have been affected negatively by it. Emma Watson, on the other side, makes a point of highlighting the challenges that men face. The burden of needing to maintain a "macho" masculinity all of the time “I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease4” Men prefer to keep things to them selves by trying to appear emotionless and tough all of the time. This can result in mental health problems that aren't always obvious. By referring to figures and statistics, Emma Watson makes use of logos. She makes it obvious that mental diseases are the leading cause of death among men in the United Kingdom, and she backs up her statement with official statistics. Her key point is that the values and expectations that society places on men and women influence everyone. Gender inequality, as well as unhealthy gender norms, exist. 3 Emma Watson, “Gender equality is your issue too”, 2014 (ll.24-27) 4 Emma Watson, “Gender equality is your issue too”, 2014 (ll.47-49) Emma Watson sends an important message in this speech, that gender inequity and unhealthy gender norms are issues that must be dealt with immediately, and they can only be solved by cooperation. The intention of this speech is to increase awareness about gender inequality and to motivate people to take action by joining her campaign, HeForShe. The speech was given at the United Nations, an international organization that deals with a wide range of societal issues and has huge political influence. As a result, she chose a strong platform on which to deliver her message. All members of society are supposed to hear the speech, as gender equality is a shared responsibility. Finally, Emma Watson's speech effectively communicates her viewpoints and message. She uses ethos to establish her trustworthiness, pathos to appeal to the audience's emotions, and logos to support her arguments and statements. She focuses on the challenges that women experience and the different forms of inequity that they experience, as well as the gender norms that affect both men and women. While doing so, she also refers to her own life experiences. The speech informs and motivates listeners to take action in order to improve the lives of both men and women.