#HeForShe .. Gender Equality!
The Harry Potter actress, who is also a U.N. Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, delivered an inspiring speech about feminism at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City Saturday. While addressing world leaders, the Brown University alum said, "We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved...We want to try to galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change and we don't just want to talk about it. We want to try and make sure that it's tangible."
The Bling Ring actress, 24, explained she recently "realized that fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop."
"For the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities," Watson said. "It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes."
Watson also said she's noticed that women choosing not to identify as feminists. "Apparently, I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, 'too aggressive,' isolating and anti-men, unattractive, even," she shared. "Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one?"
The point of the #HeForShe campaign, she said, is to make people "see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals." Watson added, "We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are. We can all be freer, and this is what HeForShe is about."
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"I hope we can all finally change laws and mentalities in order to establish what is nothing more than common sense." pic.twitter.com/NtkLpMTUzT
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) September 23, 2014This was my #heforshe speech. http://t.co/b2qzm7h0mS
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) September 22, 2014