The newly appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador called on men to join the feminist conversation during an address at the UN headquarters in New York over the weekend.
Launching the HeForShe campaign, Watson spoke her decision to identify as a feminist and called on women to dismiss recent criticism of the label.
“The more I spoke about feminism, the more I realised that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating,” she said.
“If there is one thing I know for certain 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.
“It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.”
Referencing former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s famous 1995 speech women’s rights, Watson questioned why feminism has been shunned by modern women.
“My recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word,” she said.
“Women are choosing not to identify as feminists… Why has the word become such an unpopular one?”
Her speech coincides with the growth of the Women Against Feminism movement, a social media campaign against women who “harp and whine” about equal rights.
The movement has come under fire from media outlets and women’s sites such as Jezebel, which described the campaign as silly and “pandering for male approval”.
It also follows the now famous misogyny speech by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the “frustration, even anger” she felt over attitudes towards women in positions of power.
Watson used the speech to address her most famous role - Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series - one which has been examined for its feminist undertones, spawning its own book of essays dedicated to the topic.
Drawing her speech to a close before a standing ovation, Watson spoke on her responsibility to speak out on gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.
“You might think: who is this Harry Potter girl?” she asked.
“What is she doing at the UN? I’ve been asking myself at the same thing. All I know is that I care about this problem and I want to make this better.”
