Wonder Woman named a special UN ambassador, despite protests
- by Erica Wilson
- in Local
- — Oct 22, 2016
Actors Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter pose for photos during an event to name Wonder Woman United Nations Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls at the United Nations Headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York, New York, U.S., October 21, 2016.
The U.N. event, coinciding with the character's 75th anniversary, featured statements by Carter, Gal Gadot of the 2017 Wonder Woman film directed by Patty Jenkins (also in attendance), president of DC Entertainment Diane Nelson, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Cristina Gallach.
An online petition started by United Nations staffers asked the Secretary General to reconsider the appointment.
Carter recalled being cast in her signature role more than 40 years ago.
Shazia Rafi, a leader of the She4SG movement, which pushed for a woman to succeed Ban as United Nations secretary-general, said it was "ridiculous" to have a campaign for women's empowerment be "represented by a cartoon when there are so many real-life women who could have been chosen". He spared no expense as well, as he dropped $1500 on a hand made leather costume that looks almost identical to the costume worn by Gal Gadot in the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Although she ended up falling in love with a random man who washed up on the shores, before this encounter came about it is only common sense to understand that her former relations were in fact with other women.
The initiative, dubbed "All the Wonders We Can Do", will focus on gender equality and women's empowerment, one of the UN's global goals for the next 15 years. Arguably, Wonder Woman has always represented those values in comics, and the United Nations making her title official only capitalizes on 75 years of earnest history.
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"The achievement of every single sustainable goal is totally dependent on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls", Gallach said. Carter may have been in a tight outfit but as Wonder Woman, she represented much more, as the first season's theme song stated: "In your satin tights/fighting for your rights/and the ol' Red, White, and Blue". And today, DC and the WB are promoting the new campaign with the hashtag #WithWonderWoman - a sentiment that feels milled from the same cloth as Hillary Clinton's stump slogan "I'm With Her".
Many critics of Wonder Woman's appointment were quick to add they have no gripes with the character's alter ego, Princess Diana, but with the choice of her character as a role model.
Despite many gains made in the fight for equality, one in three women still experience gender-based violence and 60% of the world's illiterate are female.
Leading up to the event, both the United Nations and DC Entertainment have launched websites that will provide regular updates and information about the campaign. That campaign is in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Over time, Wonder Woman became an icon for feminism.
The character he then set about creating drew largely on a real-life woman Marston knew personally and greatly admired: Margaret Sanger, the co-founder of Planned Parenthood.
Is Wonder Woman a symbol of empowerment or simply a "pin-up girl"?
