Paired Texts > Emma Watson's United Nations: "HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too" Speech

by Emma Watson 2014

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

First Lady Hillary Clinton's Address to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
First Lady Hillary Clinton's Address to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
First Lady Hillary Clinton

In the speech "First Lady Hillary Clinton's Address to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women," Clinton tells the United Nations why women's rights are human rights and encourages the world to protect those rights.

Pair “First Lady Hilary Clinton’s Address to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women” with “Emma Watson’s United Nations ‘HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” and ask students to compare their messages. How are the messages of these two speeches similar and how do they differ? What problems outlined in Clinton’s speech continue to be an issue today?

10th Grade Speech 1200L
Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society
Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society
John H. Young

In "Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society," John H. Young explains the rules of etiquette during the early 19th century. In this excerpt, Young explains the proper etiquette for wives and husbands.

Pair “Our Deportment, or the Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society” with “Emma Watson’s United Nations ‘HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” and ask students to discuss the gender stereotypes identified in the two texts. How have gender stereotypes evolved between the publications of these two texts?

9th Grade Opinion 1470L
Address to Congress on Women's Suffrage
Address to Congress on Women's Suffrage
Carrie Chapman Catt

In this address to Congress in November 1917, Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947), a leader in the fight for women's suffrage, argues for the rights of women.

Pair “Address to Congress on Women’s Suffrage” with “Emma Watson’s United Nations ‘HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” and ask students to compare the similar styles of these two addresses. How do the requests of these two speeches compare? How do the speakers support their claims and the validity of their requests?

10th Grade Speech 1240L
Malala Yousafzai's Address to the United Nations, July 2013
Malala Yousafzai's Address to the United Nations, July 2013
Malala Yousafzai

In her 2013 Speech to the United Nations, Malala Yousafzai states the importance of education and women's rights.

Pair “Emma Watson’s United Nations: ‘HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” with “Malala Yousafzai’s Address to the United Nations, July 2013” and ask students to analyze the stance of each speaker on men’s involvement in the fight for women’s equality. Emma Watson says she wants “men to take up this mantle” and Malala Yousafzai says “we will do it by ourselves.” Why might each speaker have a different approach to men’s involvement?

8th Grade Speech 860L
Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize Lecture
Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Peace Prize Lecture
Malala Yousafzai

In "Malala Yousafzai's Nobel Acceptance Speech," Yousafzai accepts the Nobel Peace Prize and speaks about the importance of education.

Pair “Emma Watson’s United Nations: ‘HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” with “Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize Lecture” and ask students to discuss how gender can influence how a person is treated. In addition to access to education, in what ways do women not have the same rights or opportunities as men? In what ways does this inequality impact girls’ futures?

8th Grade Speech 960L
Ain't I a Woman?
Ain't I a Woman?
Sojourner Truth

In Sojourner Truth's speech "Ain't I a Woman?" Truth discusses women's rights at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851.

Pair "Emma Watson's United Nations: 'HeForShe: Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too' Speech" with "Ain't I a Woman?" and ask students to discuss how both texts explore how men are affected by gender inequality. Why does Sojourner Truth think it would be beneficial for men to allow others the same rights that they enjoy? How does this compare to Emma Watson's depiction of how men and boys are disadvantaged by gender inequality?

8th Grade Speech 650L
Math Isn't Just for Boys
Math Isn't Just for Boys
Rachel Crowell

In the informational text "Math Isn't Just for Boys," Rachel Crowell discusses the gender gap that exists in math competitions and math-related careers.

Pair “Emma Watson’s United Nations: ‘HeForShe: Gender Inequality is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” with “Math Isn’t Just for Boys” and ask students to discuss the steps necessary to improve gender equality. How do both texts explore the negative effects of gender stereotypes? How does Emma Watson propose we combat gender inequality? How does this compare to how the text “Math Isn’t Just for Boys” suggests we improve the number of women in math-related careers?

7th Grade Informational Text 930L
The Friday Everything Changed
The Friday Everything Changed
Anne Hart

In "The Friday Everything Changed," a young girl asks a simple, but brave question that begins a war between the girls and boys in her class. 

Pair “Emma Watson’s United Nations: ‘HEFORSHE: Gender Equality Is Your Issue, Too’ Speech” with “The Friday Everything Changed” and ask students to discuss the common ideas in each text. Do you think the boys and girls are negatively affected by gender inequality in “The Friday Everything Changed,” as Watson claims? Why or why not? How do you think the boys in the class could have stood up for or supported their female classmates? How could they have been “the ‘he’ for ‘she’”?

8th Grade Short Story 1280L