UN Women calls for a “Million Man Team” to win the match against gender inequality

Date: Wednesday, 1 July 2015

The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelete and UN Women Regional Director, Luiza Carvalho during the launching ceremony of the “One Million Men’s Team” initiative. (Photo: UN Women / Cristian Mendez)

This morning, in the context of Copa America 2015, UN Women presented the “One Million Men’s Team” campaign, which seeks to bring men and boys into the global “HeForShe” movement as agents of change to promote gender equality and prevent violence against women and girls.

(Photo: UN Women / Cristian Mendez)

Held at Chile’s National Stadium, the event was attended by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Muñoz; Claudia Pascual, Minister/Director of SERNAM, Chile’s national agency for women; and Luiza Carvalho, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean; along with other Chilean and Latin American officials, and volunteers and senior personnel from Copa America 2015.

Marking Chile’s hosting of the tournament, various Chilean celebrities have joined their efforts to the campaign. They include the singer Gepe, and Iván Zamorano, former captain of Chile’s national soccer team, as well as artists and journalists who have been supporting the movement through social media.

One out of four women in Latin America and the Caribbean has been subjected to violence by her spouse or partner at least once, according to data from the Pan American Health Organization, and 29% of the Region’s women lack their own income, as compared with 13% of men.

“Moving beyond this state of affairs requires the efforts of women and men. It is a match that we must all win,” said Luiza Carvalho. “We are calling on the Region’s men and boys to join as a team and beat inequality by participating in HeForShe.”

The “One Million Men’s Team” concept is based on the idea of playing as a team, and draws on Latin Americans’ passion for soccer to attract more men and boys to the HeForShe movement, and create awareness about their role in making gender equality a reality and eradicating discrimination and violence against women and girls.

In Chile, UN Women is already moving to push a video on the campaign viral through its social networks. Featuring some of the faces that have joined the campaign, the video can be seen at the hyperlink below.

About the campaign

HeForShe (ElPorElla) is a solidarity movement launched in 2014 by UN Women – the United Nations agency responsible for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment at the global level – to end gender inequalities and stereotypes through the active participation of men and boys as defenders, participants and agents of change.

Facebook: HeForShe

Visit the campaign website: click here

Instagram: @HeForShe

YouTube: HeForShe