Emma Watson Speaks About White Feminism

Actress Emma Watson has spoken about white feminism in an an open letter to her book club, Our Shared Self.

Here is what she said:

"When I heard myself being called a 'white feminist', I didn't understand (I suppose I proved their case in point). What was the need to define me—or anyone else for that matter—as a feminist by race? What did this mean? Was I being called racist? Was the feminist movement more fractured than I had understood? I began... panicking," she wrote

She said that since then she has begun connecting with feminists of colour to understand their challenges. She acknowledges her privilege as a white feminist.

"As human beings, as friends, as family members, as partners, we all have blind spots; we need people that love us to call us out and then walk with us while we do the work."

Recently, she has also made news for speaking about sexual harassment:

She said that she has experienced the full spectrum of harassment in an interview with Variety. She said that her experience of harassment in the film industry is not unique.

Here is what she said on sexual harassment:

“But I think that for me, what is amazing is that my experiences are not unique, the experiences of my friends are not unique, the experiences of my colleagues are not unique. 

“This issue is so systemic, structural,” she said.

She also pointed out that in the United Kingdom, women between the ages of 18-24 in huge numbers have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

“You realise, if you speak to most women, they have an experience, they have a story. We’re just uncovering. We’re just scratching the surface of this, which is what’s really crazy.” 

Kudos to the actress for taking a stand and pushing for women's rights!

Also Read: Natalie Portman Reveals Gender Pay Gap in Hollywood

Picture Credit: The Warp