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HeForShe in Academia: How NYU Stern Students are Reimagining the HeForShe Movement
The future of gender equality lies in the hands of the next generation, and their voices are essential in shaping how we achieve it. To ensure the HeForShe campaign remains impactful and relevant to younger generations, we engaged NYU Stern students to provide fresh insights and strategic recommendations to strengthen HeForShe’s ability to engage youth, particularly young men, in the movement for gender equality.
The HeForShe movement has always been about fostering male allyship and collective action for gender equity. However, to maintain its relevance and effectiveness, the movement must adapt to the evolving perspectives and experiences of younger generations. This student-led project was designed to address that need. Through a carefully designed brief, we challenged this group of students to reimagine HeForShe for today's youth and propose strategies to engage their peers more effectively. This project aimed to understand how young people perceive the campaign and how we can make its message more compelling, particularly for young men.
The students approach involved:
Surveying youth perceptions of HeForShe and gender equality.
Identifying barriers that hinder youth participation in gender equality initiatives.
Providing actionable recommendations to ensure HeForShe’s messaging resonates with their peers.
Through their research and surveys, students identified both opportunities and challenges. While many young people acknowledge the importance of gender equality, they often feel disconnected from existing campaigns. Key barriers include a lack of accessible resources, messaging that does not reflect their lived experiences, and the perception that gender equality is solely a "women’s issue" rather than a societal responsibility.
The students identified a clear opportunity: to position HeForShe as not merely an awareness campaign, but as a practical guide to everyday allyship. By making gender equality relatable, accessible, and actionable, HeForShe can empower young men to see themselves as essential partners in the movement.
Student Recommendations:
Putting a Face to the Campaign: Feature a recognizable and relatable figure to serve as the face of HeForShe, creating a stronger personal connection with Gen Z.
Storytelling and Personal Narratives: Use personal narratives and real-life examples of male allyship to make the campaign more relatable and impactful for young audiences.
Incorporating Art and Culture into the Campaign: Leverage social media trends, art, and digital platforms to normalize male allyship and embed gender equality into everyday culture.
This collaboration highlights the power of youth-driven insights in advancing gender equality. The students’ recommendations reinforce that gender equality is not an abstract goal, but a practice that must be embedded in daily life. By embracing these perspectives and adapting its approach, HeForShe can cultivate a new generation of allies committed to building a just and equitable society.