Superhero Wonder Woman’s appointment as an honorary ambassador of the United Nations will end this Friday, less than two months after she was chosen to be used for an empowerment campaign for women and girls in 2017, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The comic character’s appointment on October 21 had drawn outrage, with many criticising the UN’s decision to choose a “scantily clad” superhero for the role.
Nearly 45,000 people had signed an online petition to reconsider the selection of Wonder Woman as the UN honorary ambassador. “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,” the petition read.
“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 petition argued.
UN spokesperson Jeffrey Brez, however, said the decision was not uncommon as “fictional characters often lasted no longer than a few months” as representatives of a campaign. The global body as appointed other fictional characters as ambassadors in the past. While Winnie the Pooh was its honorary ambassador of friendship, Tinker Bell was the honorary ambassador of green, and Angry Birds for conserving water and energy.
Moreover, DC Entertainment said despite the conclusion of Wonder Woman’s UN honorary ambassadorship, the character will remain a motivating force for many for a long time. Created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman first appeared in DC comics in 1941 as a superhero who fought villains and rescued victims.
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