Living in America it's expected that everyone goes to school. No one thinks twice when they watch their son or daughter get on a school bus to go to school. However, in other countries, going to school isn't that simple.
Recently, Emma Watson, a vocal advocate for gender equality and UN Women Goodwill ambassador, sat down with Malala Yousafzai, a strong supporter for education and learning, in a touching interview.
In 2012, Yousafzai's life was altered forever. When Malala was on the school bus one morning in the Swat District of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a masked gunman came aboard and asked for her by name. He then proceeded to fire a shot that went through her head, neck, and shoulder. All because she believes everyone deserves to be educated.
This past month, Watson sat down with Malala in an interview at the Into Film Festival to discuss the new documentary, "He Named Me Malala". A film about Malala's life and her role in advocating for education for everyone.
A pivotal moment in the interview is when Malala says, "I hesitated in saying am I a feminist or not and then after hearing your speech, when you said 'if not now, when? If not me, who?' I decided that there's no way and there's nothing wrong by calling yourself a feminist, so I am a feminist. And feminism is another word for equality."
Emma Watson recently started the "He For She" campaign which sparked conversation worldwide. In September of 2014, Watson spoke at the United Nations about gender equality.
Being a feminist, for whatever reason, comes with a negative connotation. Gender equality is something that effects not just women but men too. Society gives men an unrealistic view on how they should act and look. Feminism isn't "hating men" or "women spewing out nonsense".
Feminism, by definition is, "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men". It's 2015, everyone deserves the same rights, the same standards, and the same opportunities regardless of where you live in the world.