Statement from WomanSG on the UN's Selection of Wonder Woman Cartoon Representing Gender Equality
10 October 2016
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The Secretary-General of the United Nations has recently announced that launched on October 21st, 2016, the new Honorary Ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls will be Wonder Woman, a fictional character, the rights to which are owned by DC Comics, a for-profit entertainment corporation.
WomanSG Is extremely disappointed that the United Nations has decided to use a muscled version of a Barbie doll as the symbol to globally represent gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
Announced at the same time as the UN Security Council chose to reject all highly qualified women candidates for Secretary-General, this cartoon Ambassador has cast serious doubt on the UN's commitment to Gender Equality.
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WomanSG asks the Secretary-General to immediately cancel plans for this launch, reverse the decision and replace the cartoon symbol with a real, live, qualified woman as the symbol of Gender Equality and the face of SDG 5.
WomanSG also asks the Secretary-General to order an urgent public enquiry into the process of this selection. We ask the Secretary-General designate to create a committee to examine the criteria for selection of UN Goodwill Ambassadors, set appropriate terms of reference for future choices to prevent the trivialization and commercialization of the UN's important agenda.
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The UN is 70 years old; that is a lifetime. Let us make sure that in the next lifetime of the UN, its leadership includes women of merit and nerve, significantly gifted to make the UN work.
Who will give us a voice?
Courtesy of the UN Photo Library
