US magazine Glamour has shattered the glass ceiling by naming male rockstar Bono as one of the ‘Women Of The Year’. Bono received the honour, usually given to women, for all his work for gender equality and his ‘Poverty Is Sexist’ campaign.
Other honorees included Gwen Stefani; Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross; Black Lives Matter founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi; Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles; actress Zendaya; model Ashley Graham; IMF chief Christine Lagarde; ISIS kidnapping survivor Nadia Murad; and Emily Doe, victim of Stanford rapist Brock Turner.
But all the conversation is around Bono, who is the first man to ever be given the title. Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive explained: “We’ve talked for years about whether to honor a man at Women of the Year and we’ve always kind of put the kibosh on it,”
When accepting the award, Bono said: “the battle for gender equality can’t be won unless men lead it along women”.
The announcement did not go down too well with Twitter, many people mocking the decision.
.@TPM pic.twitter.com/UjjvsckXl7
— electoral ry (@RyanDenns) November 1, 2016
Does Glamour Magazine know giving Bono the “Woman of the year” award for trying to undo patriarchy undercuts the entire point of the award?
— Travon Free (@Travon) November 1, 2016
If Bono is woman of the year, I declare myself the greatest member of famous rock band U2.
— Resident Kweeva (@kwoovo) November 1, 2016
It’s so important that our daughters understand they can grow up to be Bono
— Oireachtas Retort (@Oireachtas_RX) November 1, 2016
At last Bono has shattered the glass ceiling and given men like me the confidence to know we too can aspire to being Woman of the Year. https://t.co/XmpPD90fQP
— Champion Samhain. (@EXECUTIVESTEVE) November 1, 2016
So like, I guess all the women in the world must’ve just been arse picking this year then @glamourmag?https://t.co/MdEzom8NvF
— Rae Story (@raycstory) November 1, 2016
In a press release, Christiane Amanpour a (2005 Woman of the Year) said: “When humanitarian and rock icon Bono learned that he was being honored by Glamour as the first-ever Man of the Year, he called his wife of 34 years, Ali Hewson, to give her the news. “I asked did she think I deserved it. She wasn’t sure,” Bono tells me with a laugh. “She said I’ve work to do!”
“U2’s front man has no doubts. “I’m sure I don’t deserve it,” he says. “But I’m grateful for this award as a chance to say the battle for gender equality can’t be won unless men lead it along with women. We’re largely responsible for the problem, so we have to be involved in the solutions.”
“I’m on Glamour’s side: I think Bono is the perfect choice for this first-time honor because, now 56, he’s been trying to do good for as long as he’s been making music.”
