If Emma Watson wasn't a household name before, she is now. From playing Hermione Granger to Belle, she's an unbelievably successful actress. She's also a champion spokeswoman for feminism through her role as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and her HeForShe program, which encourages men to advocate for gender equality. Needless to say, she's one of my role models. Here are some of her best quotes about feminism, life, and everything in between.
1. "I want to be a Renaissance woman. I want to paint, and I want to write, and I want to act, and I want to just do everything."
2. "Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong. It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”
3. "I've always been like that; I give 100 percent. I can't do it any other way."
4. "I'm excited about the aging process. I'm more interested in women who aren't perfect. They're more compelling."
5. "I've probably earned the right to screw up a few times. I don't want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about."
6. "I feel like young girls are told that they have to be a princess and fragile. It's bullsh*t. I identify much more with being a warrior- a fighter. If I was going to be a princess, I'd be a warrior princess. Definitely."
7. "If you truly pour your heart into what you believe in, even if it makes you vulnerable, amazing things can and will happen."
8. "If you stand for equality, you're a feminist. Sorry to tell you, you're a feminist."
9. "All I can do is follow my instincts, because I'll never please everyone."
10. "Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong."
11. "Don't feel stupid if you don't like what everyone else pretends to love."
12. "Fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there's one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop."
13. "When it gets scary is when your self-worth is tied up in what strangers think of you."
14. "I think women are scared of feeling powerful and strong and brave sometimes. There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not the absence of fear, it's overcoming it, and sometimes you have to blast through and have faith."
15. "It's not the word [feminism] that's important. It's the idea and ambition behind it."
16. "As much as someone can tell you things, you have to go out there and make your own mistakes to learn."
17. "I truly, truly believe that beauty comes from within."
18. "Becoming yourself is a really hard and confusing, and it's a process. It's often not cool to be the person who puts themselves out there."
19. "I don't want other people to decide who I am. I want to decide that for myself."
20. "In my moments of doubt, I've told myself firmly, 'If not me, who? If not now, when?'"