Emma Watson spoke at Facebook's headquarters in London last Sunday, Mar. 8, about gender equality for the International Women's Day celebrations.
The British actress, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" series, was appointed last year as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. She helped launch the "HeForShe" campaign which calls for the male population's cooperation on gender equality.
"Don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do, or cannot achieve. Just don't allow it. It's wrong. It's so wrong. Be what you want to be -- and prove them wrong," Watson pled women all around the world.
UN Ambassador also addressed the fact that gender inequality also affects men. A lot of men were able to attend the event, most of whom wore spectacles like Harry Potter. She admitted to being disturbed by the idea that men should not cry saying that not being able to express their feelings is the saddest thing in the world.
"Being able to express yourself is what makes you human -- it's not what makes you a girl."
Watson commented that "chivalry should be consensual" because as much as she likes having the door opened for her, she would also want to open doors for others because it's the polite thing to do.
Furthermore, she also spoke about how some men still think that they need to pay for a date. She described a time when she went out on a dinner date and the man grew "tetchy" when she insisted on paying for the meal.
The actress was threatened of a nude photo hacking scandal by an anonymous online source because of her advocacy on feminism and equality. She added that, instead of putting her off the cause, it made her much more determined to fight gender inequality.
"So I think it was just a wakeup call. This is a real thing, it's happening now. Women are receiving threats. I was just raging. It made me so angry. It made me so angry. I was like, 'This is why I have to be doing this.' So if they're trying to put me off, they did the opposite."
