Emma Watson Delivers Powerful Speech on Feminism as UN Ambassador

Who else but Hermione could do this good a job at educating people about feminism?

Emma Watson, newly appointed as a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador, delivered a rousing speech over the weekend for the new HeForShe campaign.

The campaign aims to work toward gender equality worldwide, a cause that Watson identifies with herself, but also invited men and women of all walks of life to join.

In the speech, Watson focused on a subject that has gone unaddressed by celebrity feminists for too long; that the very word "feminist" has become erroneously synonymous for many with "man-hating."

"I was appointed six months ago and the more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realized that fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating," Watson said. "If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop."

She continued, doling out the actual definition of the term for those who are still confused. "For the record," she said, "feminism by definition is: 'The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.' "

Watson also noted that feminism isn't just a movement for women, and that men everywhere should back it as well for the benefit of women in their lives, and for themselves.

"Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation," she said. "Gender equality is your issue too. We don't often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence."

The speech and the campaign come at a much-needed time, when so-called "Men's Rights Activists" have taken hold in corners of the Internet and launched anti-feminist campaigns, painting feminists as hypocrites and misandrists and further dividing genders by attempting to defend the rights of men to the exclusion of women's rights.

Feminism's name has been so dragged through the mud that even pop stars (and role models to many young girls) like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift had been quoted in the past as not identifying as feminists. Recently, Swift spoke about her change in perspective on the issue thanks to friend and "Girls" star Lena Dunham, who helped Swift realize the actual definition of feminism.

For more information about Watson's UN campaign, check out he HeForShe website.