Welcome to my second new feature for 2017! This one won't be for everyone, but I felt strongly that I should do this. I am highlighting 12 women and discussing the amazing things they do. They are celebrities, but they are empowering!
Feminism - advocating
social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.
Unlike popular belief, feminist do not
hate men. In fact, we love them! We just want women to have same rights as men. We want to
be (treated) equal and have equal opportunities in all things.
Men, if you want your wives, daughters,
and granddaughters to have the same rights as men, then you are indeed a
feminist.
Emma Watson is shining light on this issue in the hopes of real
change. I am doing my part by discussing one empowering woman a month.
EMMA WATSON
Emma came onto the scene as the legendary Hermione Granger in all of the Harry Potter movies. It’s pretty fitting that she had this role because Hermione was a feminist. She didn’t care what people thought of her or her smarts. She defended the weak and stood up for what was right. Hermione tried to calm Professor Lupin when he turned into a werewolf, she yelled for Professor Moody to stop when Neville was affected by the curse hurting the spider, and she even punched Draco Malfoy!
“Young girls are told you have to be delicate princesses. Hermione taught them that you can be the warrior.” - Emma
Later, Emma played Sam in the Parks of
Being a Wallflower and Ila in Noah. In Noah, she sings to her newborn twin
girls because she doesn't want them to die crying. It was a moving scene. Her
portrayal was flawless. I always thought she deserved an award for it.
But those are characters. In real life,
Emma fights for women and the Earth. She was the face for People Tree
(eco-friendly clothing) and wears eco-friendly clothing all the time.
Emma is also a U.N. Ambassador, using her
celebrity status to spread the word about HeforShe. In 2014, she spoke to the
United Nations and gave a stunning speech about the impact this has had on
girls and the importance of equal rights for all.
“Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do or achieve. Do what you want to do and be who you want to be. Just encourage and include each other. Don’t ostracize the gender in front of you.”
Last year, she even started a group on
Goodreads called “Our Shared Shelf.” Do you see the equality in that title?
OUR. Isn’t it beautiful? This group reads one book a month under the feminism
theme and discusses them. Some of the books were My Life on the Road by Gloria
Steinem, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and How to be a Woman by Caitlin
Moran.
I encourage everyone to watch the video
above, listen to Emma’s words, and check out those books to see if you might be
interested in reading them. The important thing is to keep an open
mind.
QUESTION: Have you seen Noah or read any of the books I mentioned?
Inspiring Song:
Didn't know she was a UN Ambassador. Sounds like she's using the right platforms to spread a positive message.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly is.
DeleteHi Chrys - what a great post to start your new feature ... "Empowering Women" - such an interesting talk and video - and then for promoting the "HeForShe" solidarity campaign. Thanks for highlighting for us - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it, Hilary! Emma was the one who inspired this new feature, so I had to start with her. :)
DeleteI had no idea she was so involved in women's rights. Go Emma. Having grown up during the turbulent 60s I know how hard the struggle has been and how difficult it still is, and, how misunderstood feminism is.
ReplyDeleteYes, GO EMMA! :D Feminism is so misunderstood. It's a shame that it's gotten a bad rap by others who don't fully understand the movement.
DeleteI think Emma Watson is a wonderful role model. I appreciated your post.
ReplyDeleteShe is a great role model. Thank you, Theresa!
DeleteLove the new feature! And your explanation of feminism. I think a lot of people don't really understand what it means.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah! I felt I had to include the definition of feminism and what it really is in this post.
DeleteSounds like she is doing it the right way indeed. Feminism gets a bad rap from the few who try and ram things down one's throat, the same with anything really. But making people aware and doing what you can is sure a good way to be. Never knew she was a UN ambassador either.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. There are some feminists who do take it too far, try too hard, as there are people who do this for every cause.
DeleteI really like Emma Watson for what she stands for and her intelligence. I love your definition of feminism since most people have no clue or degrade it by making fun of it. She is the new Belle in the live film version of beauty and the Beast and i think she is perfect in that role. I did see Noah and, although i had issues with the movie, I had no issues with her acting and that scene was beautiful
ReplyDeleteThe movie Noah was...strange. There were things that really threw me, but I loved Emma in it. I can't wait to see her as Belle. She is the perfect actress to play Belle.
DeleteI love Emma Watson, though I must admit I haven't seen any of her movies except for the Harry Potter ones (on the other hand, I only watch two or three movies a year). She's very different from a lot of the other young starlets out there, and I like that about her.
ReplyDeleteShe is different. Smart, mature, driven. I like that about her, too.
DeleteIt's nice to see an intelligent young woman striving to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteIt is! She makes me want to do more.
DeleteFeminism is often seen as a dirty word because of the few bad seeds with loud voices who spread nastiness, but that's not the majority, and it's not the core message of what feminism really is. Good for Emma Watson for using her voice for good, and for being properly educated on the subject. So many celebrities love to spout politics while knowing absolutely nothing about it.
ReplyDeleteYour comment is right on point. At least there are people out there who understand there are bad seeds but it's not the majority. Emma does it right. :)
DeleteWonderful post and a wonderful woman to write about.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Thank you, Yvonne!
DeleteShe's using her fame in all the right ways - very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteShe is, indeed. :)
DeleteI know of Ms. Watson, but I don't believe I've seen any of her movies. I'm planning a future series on my blog about how I realized I'm a lifelong radical feminist, and what radical feminism is and isn't. Until I discovered the radfem and gender-critical blogosphere about two years ago, I also had no idea what radical feminism really is, and didn't understand "radical" means more like "root" instead of "extremist" in this case. I never was into the Third Wave liberal feminism most popular among the under-30 crowd.
ReplyDeleteYour series about being a radical feminist will be interesting and knowledgeable, I'm sure. :)
DeleteShe has a very powerful and true voice. She's going up against a large and deeply rooted gender inequality system. I've been a supporter of The Other Half of the Sky for a long time, and she's expressing that group's philosophy when she talks about equality rather than superiority of one gender over another.
ReplyDeleteYes. She equality, not superiority. In her speech, she talked about the rights of men as well, such as men being able to be emotional and not looked at as being less than a man.
DeleteThis is a great feature you've started! I've read "The Color Purple" when it first came out. Great book. One I wouldn't mind rereading.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ellen! This is a coincidence, but I'm actually reading The Color Purple now. :)
DeleteNope. I saw The Color Purple movie though and loved it. Emma has made her strides in the world.
ReplyDeleteThe Color Purple is one of my all-time favorite movies. :)
DeleteEmma Watson is amazing.
ReplyDeleteShe is.
DeleteInspiring post on Emma. I've read The Colour Purple and seen the film. Amazing! I haven't read that one of Gloria Stenheim's but have read others.
ReplyDeleteI want to look into more books by Gloria Steinem.
DeleteI love The Color Purple. A lot of men hate it because they feel it unfairly paints all men with an ugly brush, but how many times have women experienced that in movies and books?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great new feature! Very socially responsible. I applaud you.
Women sure do get painted by an ugly brush in books and movies. It happens all the time.
DeleteThank you!
I love Emma Watson and her HeforShe campaign. I know most men saw it as an attack against men which it clearly is not. I knew she was a U.N. ambassador but I didn't know about the eco-friendly clothing.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see her in Beauty and the Beast & I love the fact she refused to wear a corset. And how in the movie she won't be just a princess but a warrior as well.
Emma will be a wonderful Belle. Her vision of how Belle should be in the movie is inspiring.
DeleteWhat a fabulous post! Yay, Emma! She does have a powerful voice, along with a strong (and creative) platform. There were a surprising amount of things I didn't know about her and I love the "Our' concept - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEmma is doing a wonderful thing with her platform. She fights for those who can't.
DeleteEmma Watson is an incredible young woman, and I truly hope she inspires a lot of people. Fantastic new feature, Chrys! :)
ReplyDeleteShe inspires me. :)
DeleteGreat post. I love it when the rich and famous give back.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
So do I. :)
DeleteWhat a great feature to add to your blog, Chrys! I'm a fan of Emma Watson. Watching her grow up in the Harry Potter series makes it even sweeter to see how she has matured and become an activist. I hadn't heard of her group on Goodreads. I haven't read any of those titles you mention so will have to add them to my TBR. Thanks Chrys, for bringing attention to such an important topic.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence. I just left a comment on your blog! :D
DeleteI really like her Goodreads group. You should look it up. I'm not reading the book that the group is reading now, but I read 5 books last year, and I'm looking forward to seeing what books will be featured this year.
Its great that she is so young, and a source for empowerment. I like seeing young people get involved in such a positive way.
ReplyDeleteI like seeing that, too.
DeleteThis is a great topic and Emma's a super choice. I read the Harry Potter books but haven't heard about Noah. Must check it out. Looking forward to future posts.
ReplyDeleteNoah is very different and selective. Some people like it, other's don't, but Emma's role is amazing.
DeleteInspiring post and an inspiring actress and spokesperson - moving speech. Looking forward to seeing her as Belle.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to that as well.
DeleteI think Emma is very cool. She does do a lot to try and make a difference for the better.
ReplyDeleteShe is cool. I wish I was more like her. ;)
DeleteI think we should be looking at equal rights for all whether we are female. male, gay, hetro, christian, muslim, white, black, or purple.
ReplyDeleteWe are people first.
Anna from elements of emaginette
Well, of course, I agree. I want that, too.
DeleteEmma is a good inspiration and role model. It hurts to think that being outspoken and verbal about wanting equality and squashing stereotypes can lead to people thinking women like Emma are abrasive and "bossy" as she called it.
ReplyDeleteIt's awful that women are called bossy or bitchy for do what they believing in and taking the lead.
DeleteI like her very much, too! My first movie of hers wasn't HP but Wallflower. Saw a tweet of hers last year and had to share it: https://twitter.com/EmmaWatson/status/779709268765310976
ReplyDeleteMakes me tear up with pride & determination every time I watch it.
That video was awesome. Thanks for sharing the link with me!
DeleteI remember that speech. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt truly was.
DeleteWonderful human being and perfect for your feature. I haven't seen Noah. I'm not sure I will because those types of movies stay with me too long. But I have followed Emma's career for some time and will continue. Bravo to her for making a difference. Thanks for this, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteThis Noah movie is VERY different. Not what I expected at all.
DeleteYou're welcome for this post, Joylene. :)