Revisiting HeForShe: Rethinking Gender Equality Communication Through the Lens of Entitlement Feminism
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Abstract
This paper explores the HeForShe Campaign through the lens of overentitled feminism, offering a critical perspective on gender equality communication. Overentitled feminism refers to an approach where feminist discourse unintentionally shifts from equality advocacy to excessive demands or privileges beyond equitable social expectations. Using a qualitative literature review, this research analyzed 25 peer-reviewed academic articles, official UN Women campaign reports, and feminist critiques published between 2014 and 2024. The selection was based on relevance to HeForShe’s framing, gender communication strategies, and critiques of feminist entitlement. The scope is limited to English-language sources with global or Western-centric perspectives, excluding regional campaigns with divergent sociocultural contexts. The findings reveal three dominant themes: (1) the campaign's strength in mobilizing male participation as allies, (2) the blurring line between solidarity and performative advocacy, and (3) concerns over entitlement narratives that may inadvertently reinforce unequal communication dynamics. While HeForShe fosters collaborative gender discourse, it also attracts critiques rooted in overentitled feminist expectations. This article highlights the balance between equity-driven and entitlement-driven narratives in global gender campaigns and calls for a more accountable, dialogue-based communication model.
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