Why I'm Obsessed with Emma Watson and Her United Nations Speech on Feminism

     Emma Watson, the actress most famous for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter series, recently spoke to the United Nations about feminism and her fight for equality. I have always been a fan of Watson's acting and knew that she was very involved with human rights, but while listening to her speech, I realized that she summed up exactly how I feel about gender inequality around the world.

(Wikimedia Commons)

     "I decided I was a feminist and that seemed uncomplicated to me, but my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word," Watson said. "Women are choosing not to identify as feminists."
     All I could think of was an experience sophomore year when a girl in my choir said that she would never be a feminist because she loved her boyfriend. I tried to explain that loving your boyfriend and believing in equality of the sexes weren't mutually exclusive; she could be in her relationship and still fight for equal rights, but she too viewed feminism as a men-hating religion and she wanted no part in that.
     "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 political, economic, and social equality of the sexes."
     I am a firm believer in feminism and I too want to change its connotation. I think any woman could and should be a feminist. Some people have told me "I could never be a feminist. I want to be a stay at home mom and take care of my kids," but as a feminist I believe that women should be able to do what they want with their lives and not be held to a lesser standard because of it. I hope that with more visibility and education, more people will realize the benefits of feminism and that the equalities of the future that Watson talked about can come true much sooner. For now, I challenge everyone, especially men, to educate themselves about feminism and gender inequalities throughout the world. Like Watson says, "gender equality is your issue too."