Emma Watson Launches IMPACT 10x10x10 for UN Women
Emma Watson moved us again this past Friday at a press conference in Switzerland as she delivered a speech launching UN Women’s newest project, IMPACT 10x10x10, an initiative that serves as a follow-up to last September’s HeForShe campaign. Watson expressed just how staggering of an impression HeForShe left when it first launched.
The HeForShe conference was watched over 11 million times, sparking 1.2 billion social media conversations, culminating in the HeForShe hashtag becoming so popular that Twitter painted it on the walls of its headquarters.
Watson went on to share the many ways in which the campaign impacted the lives of both men and women around the world and continued to thank everyone who has joined the movement in helping women’s voices to be heard.
IMPACT 10x10x10, she says, will challenge institutions like governments and universities to make “concrete commitments to gender equality” but goes further by challenging individuals to do the same. She encourages her audience with a number of ways in which they can engage in creating a more inclusive environment in the world for women. Watson believes that there is no right way to be involved, that it is up to every person to determine what they can do for the cause.
Men and women want to help, but they aren’t sure how best to do it. Men say they’ve signed the petition. What now? The truth is, the ‘what now’ is down to you.
The campaign hopes to push the movement forward, turning sparked conversations into visible actions. IMPACT 10x10x10 is about taking what could have been an empty promise of commitment and making it an actual reality. Watson shares one such instance of a fan of hers being inspired to stand up for herself:
I’ve had my breath taken away when a fan told me that since watching my speech, she has stopped herself being beaten up by her father.
It appears both Watson and the United Nations are hoping that through this new IMPACT campaign, more people will stand up to these injustices to make the world more equal for men and women alike.
Watch the full speech below!
