Watson, 24, a goodwill ambassador for U.N. Women, used International Women’s Day to add impetus to the HeForShe campaign that was launched in September last year and encourages men and boys to join the fight for equal rights.
So far around 240,000 men have pledged their commitment online, according to the HeForShe website, including U.S. President Barack Obama and actor Matt Damon, but there is a target to mobilise one billion men and boys by July this year.
“There has been a ground swell of support but we need more men to take a stand for gender equality,” Watson told a discussion on gender equality at Facebook’s London headquarters.
“Men often think that feminism is a women’s word … but if you stand for gender equality, you are a feminist.”
Watson, who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, said the campaign was not about men saving women and also called upon women to support the campaign.
“It’s uncomfortable and awkward for women to acknowledge there is a problem, but we need to understand we are complicit,” she said.
The actress said she was pleased with the response to the IMPACT 10X10X10 initiative, a one-year pilot project launched in January seeking commitments from governments, companies and universities on women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Several countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands and Sierra Leone, have backed the campaign, Watson said- Reuters
