Why People Are Upset About The U.N. Appointing Wonder Woman As An Ambassador

The United Nations is set to name Wonder Woman as an honorary Ambassador of the Empowerment of Women and Girls, but the move isn't sitting well with everyone. After a yearlong grassroots campaign to encourage the U.N. to appoint its first female Secretary General ultimately failed, some see the appointment of the 75-year-old DC Comics character as a consolation prize. "It's an insult, frankly," Anne Marie Goetz, professor of global affairs at New York University and a former adviser on peace and security issues to the United Nations agency, U.N. Women, told NPR. The biggest issue for Goetz is timing, citing "months and months of campaigning by feminist organisations around the world for a woman to be selected." Despite the seven highly qualified women on this year's shortlist — more than any previous year — the Security Council selected a man, António Guterres.

Apparently, the U.N. division responsible for Wonder Woman's appointment was well aware of the controversy surrounding its choice. According to the New York Times, more than 600 U.N. staffers signed an online petition asking Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to rethink the character's appointment.

Raimonda Murmokaitė, the Permanent Representative from Lithuania, took to Twitter to express her disapproval with the decision: "There should be plenty real-life women and girls to inspire the rest of us."

The online petition was coupled with a real-life protest of approximately 100 U.N. members of staff who gathered at U.N. Headquarters armed with signs reading "I Am Not A Mascot" and "Let's Get Real,” CBS News reports.