Back in October, the United Nations named DC Comics hero Wonder Woman as Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. The move was made to shine a light on issues of female empowerment and violence against women. The United Nations just announced that this would be the final week that Wonder Woman would be an Honorary Ambassador, despite the fact that events and campaigns centered on the character and the mission of the ambassadorship were poised to extend into 2017. The removal follows an online petition and protests from several United Nations employees to remove Wonder Woman’s ambassadorship because of concerns over the character’s physical appearance.
According to the petition, “Although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is that the character’s current iteration is that of a large-breasted white woman of impossible proportions.” The character’s last day as ambassador will be this Friday.
The opposition against Wonder Woman as Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls gravely misses the point of the character. As many online have pointed out following the announcement that she would be stripped of her ambassadorship, Wonder Woman is a hero who is far more than merely her appearance. In her many comic book, TV, and film iterations, the Amazonian princess represents freedom, justice, and equality for women and girls across the globe. She has consistently been an advocate for social change and a staunch opponent of bigotry, sexism, and injustice wherever she encounters it. And she has served as a role model for decades for girls looking for a female champion to look up to.
In opposition to her removal, a Change.org petition has already been created to urge the United Nations to reconsider its move.
[Source: The Guardian]