Wonder Woman has been dropped from her position as a honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls for the UN.
The UN has announced that the fictional character’s role as ambassador will end on Friday (16 December), less than two months after her appointment.
The decision to end Wonder Woman’s role comes after much controversial backlash. At the time of her appointment in October, 2,000 UN staff members had signed a petition arguing that she was not the appropriate choice.
They argued that, “although the original creators may have intended Wonder Woman to represent a strong and independent ‘warrior’ woman with a feminist message, the reality is 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 – the epitome of a ‘pin-up’ girl.”
Alongside the petition, around 100 UN members protested at UN headquarters, with signs stating, ‘I am not a mascot’, ‘real women deserve a real mascot’, and ‘no to Wonder Woman’.
While a spokesperson for the UN confirmed that the campaign was coming to an end, a reason behind it was not revealed. However, spokesman Jeffrey Brez has said that campaigns using fictional characters regularly last no longer than a few months.
The aim of the campaign was help to achieve the UN’s fifth goal, as part of their Sustainable Development plan. Goal five aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The campaign was launched on the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman’s first appearance in the comic book in 1941.
Despite the short appointment, Courtney Simmons from DC Entertainment, which publishes DC Comics said, “Wonder Woman stands for peace, justice and equality, and for 75 years she has been the motivating force for many and will continue to be long after the conclusion of her UN Honorary Ambassadorship.”
