The UN Is Under Fire After Naming Wonder Woman Honorary Ambassador For The Empowerment Of Women
In retrospect, maybe they should have given the job to a real woman instead.
The United Nations is facing heavy criticism from women’s groups as well as members of its own staff, after making the tone deaf decision to name Wonder Woman the Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.
The UN made the appointment on Friday, on the eve of the character’s 75th birthday. The image of the iconic superhero will be used by the UN on social media in order to promote women’s rights around the world.
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“The focus [of the U.N.] was on her feminist background, being the first female superhero in a world of male superheroes and that basically she always fought for fairness, justice and peace,” a UN spokesperson told NPR.
But while Wonder Woman has often been touted as a feminist icon, the appointment of a scantily clad fictional white woman as a UN ambassador has understandably caused some concern. Around 50 UN staffers turned their backs on the stage during the appointment ceremony in New York. They have also launched an online petition calling on the UN to give the symbolic position to a real woman instead.
UN's decision to appoint Wonder Woman as honorary ambassador for gender equality campaign is met with protest by its own staff. pic.twitter.com/wXui12ka1O
— sofie syarief (@sofiesyarief) October 21, 2016
“Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots –the epitome of a ‘pin-up’ girl,” reads the petition, which has racked up close to 1,400 signatures.
“It is alarming that the United Nations would consider using a character with an overtly sexualized image at a time when the headline news in United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls.”
UN staff gather in lobby of UN to protest the choice of Wonder Woman as honorary UN Ambassador for the empowerment of women & girls pic.twitter.com/Rrj6e6msuj
— Whitney Hurst (@whitney_hurst) October 21, 2016
“Having strong (living, breathing) female role models is a critical aspect of the goal of empowerment of women and girls,” the petition continues. “If the United Nations would like a list of incredible extraordinary women that would formidably carry out this role, we could surely be able to come up with a list from which the Secretary-General could choose.”
The appointment comes at a particularly inopportune time for the United Nations, after it elected yet another man, in former Prime Minster of Portugal António Guterres, as Secretary General. A number of commentators, including outgoing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, had previously said that the job should go to a woman.
Wonder Woman, meanwhile, is but the latest fictional character to be named a UN ambassador. Previous appointments include Tinkerbell and Winnie the Pooh.