Chances are you know her name since chances are you have watched at least one, two, three, or all eight of the Harry Potter movies. What is truly fantastic about her is that she has successfully managed to eclipse the halo of Hermione Granger and step into her very own limelight by shedding the garb of her character and assuming the crown of a bona fide superstar.
She has newly assumed the position of UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador, and delivered not one, but two incredibly impassioned and captivating addresses to champion gender equality. At the tender age of 24, she has accomplished an astonishing amount with her characteristic class, poise, grace, humility, and gratitude. She is beautiful, incredibly intelligent with a degree in English Literature from Brown University, fearless, passionate, and eager to advocate for the rights of women worldwide. She personifies a classy, educated, and beautiful woman on her way to creating a groundbreaking impact on our world. For these reasons -- and many others -- Emma Watson is every woman's girl crush.
1. Her Keen Desire to Advocate for Women's Empowerment and Change the World
She has always been very vocal in fighting for women's rights. In the past, prior to her UN appointment, she has visited Bangladesh and Zambia to promote education for girls. Such an intense commitment to bringing this issue to the forefront as a young woman is incredibly impressive and deserves applause. At the launch of the HeForShe campaign, her incredibly moving speech influenced the world to aid in the support of women's empowerment. She and the entire team behind the conceptualization of HeForShe drove home an incredible point, that gender equality is an issue that affects all people, politically, economically, and socially, and thus should actively engage men in the discussion. She will be instrumental in the campaign potentially engaging a total of 1 billion men by July 2015. Just the first of many reasons we are enamored by her.
2. Her Total and Complete Re-Branding of the Definition of Feminism
In her speech, our girl crush, Emma Watson, made an impressively bold move by re-defining feminism as the "belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities" and declaring that the perception of "man-hating" "has to stop." A great majority of us women who did not identify as feminists before, listened to this definition, and ultimately changed our positions on the issue.
She accurately described feminists as people who believe and endorse gender equality, which of course includes a great many of the world's population. She made feminism "cool" in the eyes of the media, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is historic. An incredible number of men and women have branded themselves as feminists after her speech, and why not? Gender equality is an issue that we must all support and champion, because if we support men and women equally in their passions and quests to achieve their dreams, the world will progress at an astonishing pace.
3. Her Classy Personality and Humble Attitude in the Face of Much Success and Fame
As a very classy and balanced young woman, Emma Watson is in a league of her own in Hollywood. She chooses to defy conventions, and write her own story to be one of the greatest stories ever written in this world. She has constantly strived to cement her position as a celebrity of note, someone who will consistently champion her values and integrity. Hers is an example that young women admire because they recognize her purity in a world keen to have everyone hungry to succeed to conform to set expectations.
As a classy, humble, well-educated, and eloquent woman, she has carved a niche for herself that will only continue to grow and gain momentum in the years to come. Congratulations, Emma Watson. You are undoubtedly the girl crush of women around the world. Continue trailblazing the path to gender equality!