Professor Grant Guilford is one of a select group of high-profile New Zealand men who are becoming HeForShe Champions as part of an initiative that was launched in Wellington today.
Launched internationally last year by actress Emma Watson, HeForShe is a global social media campaign that was developed by the United Nations to encourage boys and men to advocate for women and take action to achieve gender equality.
The campaign is designed to spread awareness and spark action by men and boys to help eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and violence against women and girls.
HeForShe New Zealand features some of the country’s most influential men, including the Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier, and Police Commissioner Mike Bush, as well as entertainers, business leaders and politicians.
“It’s a real privilege to have been asked to lend my support by becoming an official champion of this campaign,” says Professor Guilford. “In this capacity, I’m representing the whole University and its values because gender rights are not just a women’s issue—it’s a human rights issue which affects us all.
Professor Guilford says there is a strong scholarly tradition of gender and women’s studies, which Victoria has integrated into a wide range of academic areas including criminology, education, history, geography, law, media studies, psychology and sociology.
“Equity matters to New Zealand’s social and economic wellbeing. Equity doesn’t mean that all individuals should be treated the same way—rather, systemic disadvantage must be taken into account and mitigated or eliminated entirely.
“At Victoria, we have long been putting those words into action, and I’m delighted to be involved with the HeForShe campaign so that I can further encourage others to do the same.”
For more information about the initiative, see the HeforShe website.