Yes, that Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman. It seems the United Nations will bolster its fight against terrorism, tyranny, international poverty, and climate change with bullet-deflecting bracelets, super strength, and the Lasso of Truth.
As reported by the New York Times, “the United Nations announced that it would appoint Wonder Woman as an honorary ambassador for ‘the empowerment of women and girls.’” This development, made public on October 12, feels like a bit of an empty gesture . As the NYT comments, the U.N. recently chose António Guterres as its next Secretary General after rejecting “seven female candidates vying to lead the global organization.” This decision came down despite dozens of countries campaigning for a woman to get the job.
According to the U.N.’s department of public information, Wonder Woman’s avatar will “be used on social media platforms to promote important messages about women’s empowerment, including on gender-based violence and the fuller participation of women in public life.” It’s important to note, however, that the U.N. is an organization where men hold 90 percent of the senior leadership positions.
We’re huge fans of Wonder Woman, and are incredibly excited for Patty Jenkin’s long-awaited film centered on the character: Wonder Woman, as a symbol, represents gender equality, feminism, patriotism, and civic duty. However, she is just that — a symbol. She is an amazing and inspiring character, but slapping her likeness on an institution that is still lagging behind on women’s issues does not solve the problem, especially considering the fact that “a woman has never led the United Nations system, and none will for at least the next five years.”
Wonder Woman will officially become the U.N.’s newest honorary ambassador on October 21, the character’s 75th birthday. Hopefully her presence will inspire the U.N. to launch more campaigns like HeForShe, and to hire more women for prominent leadership roles.
“Wonder Woman” opens June 2, 2017.