The appointment of Wonder Woman to the UN has not gone down well with some of the UN staff members. The news of Wonder Woman’s appointment was met with both praise and criticism, and a petition was created by ‘Concerned United Nations Staff Members’ asking the UN secretary general to reconsider the move. The petition mentioned concerns over her “overtly sexualized image” that is not “culturally encompassing or sensitive”.
“The bottom line appears to be that the United Nations was unable to find a real-life woman that would be able to champion the rights of ALL women on the issue of gender equality and the fight for their empowerment. The United Nations has decided that Wonder Woman is the role model that women and girls all around the world should look up to,” the petition read.
The petition, which had over 1,180 signatures by Friday afternoon, announced the plan for the “silent but non-disruptive” protest inside the Ecosoc chamber where the official ceremony took place.
At a ceremony appointing Wonder Woman as an honorary UN Ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls, a group of staff members protested ‘both inside and outside the venue’, The Guardian reported.
Protesters entered the chamber at the start of the event, and stood with their backs turned and their fists raised. They walked out of the event about halfway through, but three women stood outside for a few minutes to speak about their actions. Other protesters gathered in the visitor’s lobby of the UN.
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The ceremony on Friday featured famous guests including actresses Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot who have both brought the character to life on screen, Patty Jenkins, the director of the forthcoming Wonder Woman film, and Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment the company that owns the character
The choice of Wonder Woman was not the first time a fictional honorary ambassador was chosen to represent the UN. Previously, Winnie the Pooh was an ambassador for International Day of Friendship, and a character from Angry Birds was chosen for International Day of Happiness.
Featured Image Courtesy: Getty