The United Nations has appointed a new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. The catch? She’s not a real person. While some people are applauding the UN’s decision to appoint Wonder Woman as an honorary ambassador, others are furious and believe she is not an appropriate choice for the job.
Wonder Woman is once again being asked to save the world, but this time from gender inequality, something the UN hopes to solve by 2030. This campaign for global gender equality and female empowerment is one that DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. are both in full support of, with the President of DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Consumer Products calling the campaign a “weighty responsibility” but one that they are “proud to take on.” The campaign marks the 75th anniversary of when Wonder Woman was first introduced in a comic book in 1941. For the past seventy-five years, Wonder Woman has been one of the most iconic female superheroes and has continued to break boundaries as it was revealed that she is also queer. She has been hailed as a feminist icon and, most recently, a queer icon. So shouldn’t everyone be happy with her new role with the UN?
Some of the most outspoken opponents to Wonder Woman serving as a UN Ambassador are members of the UN itself: an online petition has been posted calling for the UN to reconsider their decision. The petition specifically criticizes the physical appearance of Wonder Woman, saying that “the character’s current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit with an American flag motif and knee high boots.” Some of these concerns may have more merit than others: her body proportions have been questioned as to whether or not they are obtainable or realistic, her skin color and the integration of the American flag into her outfit may both place limitations on her effectiveness of bringing global equality and empowerment to women. However, slut-shaming Wonder Woman’s outfit only contributes to the problem of gender inequality and does nothing to help empower women.
Other criticisms of the UN’s recent announcement claim that it wasn’t that Wonder Woman was the wrong choice for an ambassador; it’s that any fictional character is the wrong choice for an ambassador. This claim goes hand-in-hand with criticisms that the UN itself could have done more to fight for gender equality. The UN had recently appointed a new Secretary General, and despite member nations’ pushing for a woman to be selected for the job, Antonio Guterres was selected, bypassing seven women. Additionally, it has been reported that last year nine out of ten leadership positions within the UN were given to men. Some people feel that the UN is not doing enough to push for global gender equality and the empowerment of women, and that the appointment of Wonder Woman as an ambassador is dismissing real-life women that could have fulfilled the same role, something that is pointed out in the petition written by UN members.
While the UN has good intentions and goals, is the selection of their most recent ambassador justifiable? Wonder Woman may be a superhero, a feminist icon, and a queer icon, but is she UN ambassador material?
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