Georgetown University Joins Big Brands, Other Schools In UN Push for Gender Equality


UN Women, a body designated by the United Nations to support the empowerment of women around the globe, announced Thursday that Georgetown University has joined the HeforShe movement and outlined specific steps the school will take to push for gender equality within its walls and beyond.

A number of other multinational corporations, such as Twitter and Vodafone, as well as international universities, including Oxford and Stony Brook University, have also pledged to forward the movement, launched with a powerful speech from actor Emma Watson on feminism that went viral last year.

According to Time Magazine, Georgetown University President John DeGioia committed to advancing gender equality “through research compiled by Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace & Security, which will soon unveil a new study on women’s political participation in ending conflict.” In addition, G.U. recently instituted a new education program on campus to help faculty and students better identify harassment and sexual misconduct.

Georgetown is joining the fold as a part of the UNWomen’s IMPACT 10x10x10 initiative, which engages 10 leaders each from three sectors — public, private and academia — in the organization’s broader push for gender equality. The organization announced the first five leaders from the private sector and academia, respectively, to make commitments to the HeforShe movement earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. G.U. was already technically involved in the movement, coordinating with early pledge-taker Tupperware Brands to conduct research on how women’s confidence affects their economic success.

Georgetown and Stony Brook are the only American academic institutions involved in the initiative, with other schools represented hailing from all over the world.

Other commitments made include Barclays’ pledge to provide 2.5 million women around the world with financial programs, Oxford University’s expansion of its “Good Lads” workshops on consent for men on sports teams and in social clubs, and the University of Sao Paolo’s implementation of a zero-tolerance policy in dealing with on-campus violence against women. (The University of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous University of Mexico have joined the University of Sao Paolo’s efforts.)

UN Women and HeforShe have yet to announce commitments from 10 public sector leaders that would further gender equality.

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