UN Women National Committee Canada Joins UN Women in Launching the HeForShe International Solidarity Campaign

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 15, 2014) - UN Women National Committee Canada is pleased to join with UN Women for the launch of the HeForShe international solidarity campaign on September 20, 2014. HeForShe was developed by UN Women to engage men and boys in the development of solutions to end gender discrimination and inequality, and to highlight the importance of inclusive collaboration in enacting positive change for the world's women.

UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson is co-hosting a special event HeForShe Campaign at UN Headquarters in New York on 20 September.

UN Women National Committee Canada will be releasing a video featuring a message and op-ed from President Almas Jiwani calling for the mobilization of men and boys across Canada to be part of the HeForShe movement.

"Women's empowerment and gender equality are not solely women's issues," said Ms. Jiwani. "The marginalization of women has negative effects for all aspects of society, from stunting economic growth to discouraging political and policy diversity. Men need to be informed about these problems, and more importantly be a part of the conversation in creating solutions."

The HeForShe campaign is globally aiming for the mobilization of one billion men to become engaged in the fight to end gender inequality by June 2015. It aims to clearly articulate the societal, global benefits - for both men and women - possible through the empowerment of women, and that these benefits are only possible through the inclusion of men in efforts to create these benefits.

Ms. Jiwani further noted, "It is very important for Canada to show our strong support for women and girls and the fight for their rights globally. I call on men and women, boys and girls from across the country to support the HeForShe movement and become part of history. Never before has such a campaign been attempted, and with such a large reach and lofty goal - but I believe that Canada has the heart, the power, and the responsibility, to step forward as a global leader in this endeavor."

About UN Women National Committee Canada

UN Women National Committee of Canada is an independent, non-government organization that supports the mission of UN Women through public awareness initiatives about UN Women and global women's issues, as well as fundraising efforts to support UN Women programmes worldwide. For more information about UNWNCC, please visit: www.unwomencanada.org.

About UN Women

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

For more information, visit www.unwomen.org

About UN Women's HeForShe Campaign

HeForShe is a solidarity movement which calls upon men and boys to stand up against the persisting inequalities faced by women and girls globally. The campaign strengthens the support for women's rights as human rights by enlisting the support of men and exhorting them to put themselves forward as advocates for gender equality.

For more information, visit www.heforshe.org.