In a recent Q&A for Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai’s film “He Named Me Malala,” Yousafzai for the first time in any interview confirms that she is a feminist. Sitting across from U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, the 18-year-old admitted her hesitation with the word upon first hearing it.

After listening to Watson’s 2014 HeforShe speech, Yousafzai said she was inspired to use the term to identify herself. In the interview, Yousafzai stated to Watson: “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 with calling yourself a feminist, so I am a feminist, and we should all be feminists because feminism is another word for equality.” (https://youtu.be/NKckKStggSY)

Yousafzai became an activist at the age of 11, fighting for equal access to education for boys and girls. In 2012, Yousafzai was shot 3 times on her way to school by the Taliban for her activist and blogging efforts. Despite her extreme dedication to the cause, it took Yousafzai another two years to accept the word feminist.

“When I heard it the first time, I heard some negative responses and some positive ones,” Yousafzai said.

In the year 2015, both women and men are still wary about identifying as feminist. The word itself has taken on varying definitions, ranging from a statement of gender equality to an extreme notion of man-hating. Social media has made a large contribution to this obscurity, with voices on varying sides adding to the confusion.

michelleecoward because when i mention that i'm a feminist, ppl say "oh so you hate men?" https://t.co/AJ6CZpbMaY 11/7/15, 8:48 PM

thewmind Men will let you be a feminist if you are: polite, heterosexual, attractive and "can take a joke" - otherwise they will call you a feminazi 11/8/15, 10:01 AM

coexxist12 I'm still not a feminist I just like everyone and want everyone to be treated with respect. 11/8/15, 5:03 PM

Ever since her speech was released, Watson has provided a popular definition of feminism that encourages boys and men to become an active part of the conversation. In her U.N. speech, she addresses the issue with the word feminist. "We are struggling for a uniting word, but the good news is that we have a uniting movement," she said.

Yousafzai showed her support to this effort in her interview with Watson by addressing her father as a feminist. She invites all men to step forward and embrace change. “If we want equality, men have to step forward… and say, ‘we’re here to support,’” she said.

The battle with the true definition of the word feminist may be far from over, but what’s more important is the movement that the word stands for: a unification of both men and women fighting for equal gender rights.

Surely, the movement holds many shades of grey among this black and white definition, but it’s a starting point that the current generation should agree to embrace.