With all the drama surrounding the comments between Kim Kardashian, Bette Midler, Chloe Grace Moretz, and so many other celebrities, leading feminist activists were sadly not the focus of International Women’s Day. There are certainly more important issues than nude selfies that feminists are concerned about, such as equal pay and sexual harassment. One powerful and inspiring celebrity who choses to constantly speak about these issues is Emma Watson.
Instead of getting involved in a petty feud, Watson spent International Women’s Day sharing moments throughout history where women worked to achieve the rights entitled to them. She even turned the Empire State Building magenta to represent her relevant HeforShe campaign. Throughout the day, Emma shared posts of fellow influential figures, both male and female, who support the campaign.
HeforShe is a global movement started by UN Women to engage and inform the world about the need to strive for gender equality. People can join the movement by visiting the website for the campaign and pledging to defend the cause. Currently, over a billion people have made the commitment. Watson became one of the faces of HeforShe in 2014 when she made a speech that went viral about gender inequalities in multiple societies. Now, she is working on creating an Arts Week for HeforShe to encourage arts and cultural institutions to help the cause. She is also the current UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
Watson is not the type of celebrity who voices her opinion about issues, but then doesn’t take action. She recently revealed that she will step away from her acting career for about a year to devote time to HeforShe. Not only does she speak about feminism, but she also conveys her message by interviewing well-known feminist figures. She interviewed Ain’t I A Woman? writer bell hooks this month and discussed what it is like to be a woman in our world today.
As a feminist, Watson has been criticized for her views and has sometimes been referred to as a “feminazi” or a “diva.” Hoever, Watson revealed in an interview with Esquire that she does not care what anyone calls her because she is standing up for what she believes in. She said she does not share personal experiences about her battles with sexism because feminism is not about her; it is about all women.
Watson does not aim to be controversial, but her words also prove that she is not afraid to face opposition. So let’s remember to stand with celebrities like Emma Watson who use their platform to help others. Like Watson, let’s work to make every day International Women’s Day.
Visit www.heforshe.org for more information
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