In a world where a man who objectifies women is President of the United States and Irish women still do not have full bodily autonomy, the importance of a having a role model, of having someone who inspires women, who pushes us all to be better, is paramount.
Emma Watson became that for me a long time ago. The moment where Ron Weasley is ranting to his classmates about Hermione after she corrected his pronunciation of “Wingardium Leviosa” is where it began. It resonated with me because it brought back those moments when my drive and intelligence, and that of women’s around me, was belittled to being “bossy” or, as Ron put it, a “know-it-all”. And yes, Emma was reading from JK Rowling’s script, but even she herself has said that “Hermione is so close to who I am as a person”. In my eyes, she became a symbol. A girl who was unafraid to raise her hand in class and a girl who embraced her thirst for knowledge.
As I grew up, my respect for her grew too. I loved the balance she had between taking pride in her appearance as well as her own intellectual ability. The fact that she could be a fashion icon and attend Brown University. That she could play a Disney princess and be a Feminist.
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in Paris on April 15th, 1990 to English parents Jacqueline and Chris. She moved to Oxfordshire, England 5 years later and at the age of 6, she knew she wanted to be an actress.
In, 1999, after 8 auditions, Emma Watson was cast as Hermione Granger in what would become the highest grossing film of 2001. Since then she has won multiple awards including, GQ Woman of the Year and MTV’s Trailblazer award.
In May of this year, MTV awarded Watson again with their first ever gender-neutral award for Best Actor in a Movie. This award was particularly fitting for the actress as she is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N., promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
This is just one of her many titles. As well as a humanitarian and actress, Watson is a Brown graduate, fashion icon, artist, and a designer. In 2009, she worked with People Tree, to create a fair trade and organic line aimed at 16-24-year olds. Sustainable fashion is something close to Emma’s heart. Apparel is the main employer of women and many within the industry are not being paid a fair wage. In her latest press tour for Beauty and the Beast, the 27-year-old wore only ethical, sustainable fashion and documented every outfit on an Instagram page called @the_press_tour.
Emma Watson has many titles, she has undertaken many roles. For me, she will always be the wild haired Hermione Granger that taught me to always be inquisitive, intelligent and that it’s “levi-oh-sa” not “levio-sahh”.
Image via Emma Watson Twitter page