Emma Watson Facebook Q&A about HeForShe - International Women's Day 2015

hello everybody and welcome good afternoon Facebook fans we are live from the Facebook offices in central London on International Women's Day my name is Greg James and today I'll be joined by British actor and UN Women Global goodwill ambassador to whom International Women's Day means a lot last year she gave a very memorable speech an incredible speech sensational speech really on gender equality launching the he for she campaign please join me everybody and make a lot of noise for the wonderful Emma Watson welcome well that's the lovely reaction we haven't even said anything yet I know how does that anything that's really good thank you all so much for coming thank you very much for watching and thanks for getting me involved it's real a real honor to be part of this I watched the speech when it was we did it in September and I felt absolutely compelled to do something so I was really happy to be asked to get involved and great to have you here are you feeling well you are you good and happy I'm good I'm a little nervous but I'm very excited I'm very very very excited mutters this is amazing that respect I've done this this well so your Facebook fan page has just passed 30 million fans I even I can't even wrap my head around that 30 million is a lot of people yeah so many people it's a lot people watching this right now and you and you keep up to date with your fans and that's you like the conversation between you and your fans on there I really do I think it's been such an amazing tool for me because I can instantly and directly share things that are really important to me and it's really personal no it's it's it's really nice to be able to do that really nice do you get addicted to it because you just there's so much common place in the whole time because I do get a bit addicted actually yeah it's um it's so nice cuz you just you get instant feedback to things and I'm particularly with he for she I'm so interested to see you know what you guys think and what you know and it's it's so nice to see things that I'm saying like starting debates and conversation and I love seeing how you know all of that unravels really it's it's really fun well the video that you put up to talk about this specific conversation was viewed at 17 million times I mean that's that's crazy number so a lot of people are watching today and by the way if you have got questions please put in the comments and we can try and get to them as the conversation goes on we have so much to talk about so let's let's get started we're live at the Facebook offices today and we'll get some fan questions later which we'll have time for but I want to talk about that speech that you did on the 20th of September now obviously talking at the UN is an incredibly nerve-racking thing to do I imagine we're not going to only imagine I haven't actually spoken at the UN yet they haven't asked me yet but what what was the the mission statement what was going through your head in the morning of that speech what was the mission statement you wanted to get across um I guess I really wanted to communicate that gender equality historically has been predominantly a woman's movement for women but I think the impact of gender inequality and how it's actually been affecting men hasn't really been addressed and so I really wanted to make that one of the clearest messages in my speech and I think also our society in general D values that she and you know when I say that I mean qualities that are associated with the feminine which are found in all of us and as a result there's kind of this imbalance and this distortion and it's just hindering our progress it's causing discrimination and violence and pain and fear the world over all the way you know all over and I just wanted to desensitize people to the issues and make them feel that they could be part of the problem and that that they can make a difference and to give people of waste on a platform with which to do that with which to make change so it's quite a lot to fit into into eight minutes but I did my best tried to cram it all in and yeah it was difficult I really wanted to try and reach as many different people as possible in a very short space of time what are the immediate reactions from your fans and from the people that know you what what the reactions after that speech what was said immediately how did you feel after you've done it did you feel like you absolutely got every point across did you feel that that was that was the nice and lovely moment because like one of the most surreal moments of my life I have to say I remember at the end of it seeing people start to stand up and like something from a dream or a film or I thought maybe I died and it was weird I was just really surreal mommy didn't die I didn't die um but kind of a little bit I felt like I could sound really cheesy but I felt like I could sort of die happy I had sort of done kind of what the most important thing I might ever do I I had I had I would I was shaking I was so nervous but at least I got it out there like I'd managed to manage to voice the words I've managed to I'd manage to get it out and that was big so you talked a lot about inviting men to help fight sexism so what was the reaction from the men around you and your male fans what were they saying um I was really touching because I got a lot of emails from you know my pair group so guys I was at university where they're all guys I was at school with but I got a lot of emails from men had worked with you know there was just a real the demographic of men I reached it was sort of like everywhere from my dad and my dad's friends all the way down to my little brother Toby you know being being all about it as well so I was really that was really cool yeah the the support you got from other celebrities was also incredible and there was a huge Drive picture on social media and all the rest of it who are the ones that you were most proud of reaching and you were so happy that they were joining in this campaign as well yeah I mean just incredible I had like a personal letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury and you know I had you know it was just mad it was amazing and but but you know we have also had we just actually launched a new program called impact 10 by 10 by 10 and we have these impact champions who are pilot piloting he for she programs within you know whether it's their government or whether it's their school or their business and we've actually had the country of Sweden the country the Netherlands we've had Sierra Leone Unilever PwC Barclays Tupperware sunny University Oxford University yes and and we're announcing a lot more on March 10th I'm not allowed to say who that other people are but we I mean it's just incredible to have to have that kind of support you know on those kind of levels you know and then and then all the way down to you know I've had I read a letter from a 13 year old boy this this morning um who was you know hopefully as passionate as the CEO of Unilever so that's that's amazing has only been five months I mean that's I think that's the other thing is it's it's well I feel I feel like it's made a huge impact in those five months and obviously it's very important that that your fans and the general public are getting behind this but you do need those corporations to help push those messages home so it sounds like everything's going pretty well so far it is it is and yeah I think you know in terms of mail reactions I think have been like yeah we're on board but now we're not really sure exactly how to help it's it can be there a little bit still a little bit fearful and still a little bit confused of okay so how do i how do I do this exactly and I guess I just say that you know even the small gestures to the till really big ones it all makes it all changes and impacts somebody else's life so I saw one thing I know you're very excited about with Steve Carell who wore the he pushy cufflinks at the Oscars know always talked about this because I he's kind of my hero and I know he's you're a big fan of him too so what was it like to see in action to see that people were just it was that that's a very subtle but lovely thing to do is they weren't wearing some cufflinks so yeah things like that month you must make you go okay things are happening completely you know I I had no idea that he was gonna do that and then um you know it's just it's just so overwhelming and humbling when men want to show their support like that it's just it's just so nice it really is and it does spread awareness and it does make a difference and you know even if like two people on that night asked him what his like what is your cuff link what does that mean what is that and he said oh well you know I am taking a stand for gender equality yeah you know that that itself that's huge so what are some of the things that you are asking your facebook fans to do to be part of he pushy what are some of the things that they could actually you know take part in or do well uh first off um I have a an amazing number of male Facebook fans I'm I need to check the number because it's so many it's so crazy I can't even believe it but um yeah we only have 200,000 commitments on he fishy org so Facebook fans one thing you can do that's right now even if you want to is go to the clip she'd org and make the commitment we still we still need more men signing up on that petition yeah so that that's that's definitely that's definitely a really good way and you know and then I think it's really cute I asked my I have my younger sister this morning I was like what would be the one thing will be the one thing that you would want from from the boys in your life from from the men in your life and she just went she won't I just want them to want to play with us like just one I just want you know and and again I was like well that that translates at every level like we just want to be included we just you know we just want yeah we just want to be included I was like wow yeah it's really very concisely done that and then for women I think it's really acknowledging or feeling comfortable or confident enough to acknowledge that there is actually a problem because it's uncomfortable it's awkward to it to acknowledge that there is a problem but we need to understand that we are complicit and another sort of anecdote is that you know a lot of the yeah just a lot of the criticism I've ever had in my life in with the harshest moments of criticism war some of the hardest moments I've had have been comments from other women and you know it's not just enough to ask men to come in and support us we really need to support each other we really do so you know I guess I would say being brave enough to acknowledge that that things aren't there yet and and also you know supporting each other we talked a lot about in your speech for the UN about the term feminism and and I suppose making sure people understand what you mean by that and what people mean by the term feminism but I mean what what what's your understanding of it what did you want to try and put across because there's lots of people I think a lot of people don't know what that necessarily means it and I think you said something like it was a not a dirty word but it was a word that people are afraid of using people are reluctant to use it why do you think that is because I think people associate it with with hate with with man hate and and that's that's really negative and I don't think that's what feminism is about at all I think it's actually something incredibly positive so I think that's why women became very reluctant to use that word but I think that's changing which is really cool I've I'm aware of a lot more male feminists now yeah and I was a few years ago and it's it's really heartening and people have come back to what the actual definition means which is equality politically culturally so surely economically that's it but even if that simple you know that small message gets through now yeah I'm trying to me what I was like when I was 15 yeah I was 15 year old boy typical teenage boy if someone said to you are you a feminist you know well obviously not but I think that that but now it should be you know if by that you mean I would like many women to be treated equally paid the same and you know all that kind of thing I would say yes I am a feminist but I think that's a very simple thing for people to try and grab hold of it is I I think um man think it's a woman's word but it is only women it's only for women but it really just means that you believe in equality and if you stand for equality then you're a feminist sorry to tell you you're a feminist I'm sorry you you're a feminist that's it so from this this point on what what are the things that you're going to be working on in the next few weeks next couple of months what the next targets for you next targets for me well I'm gonna harp on about this but again you know getting more men sign up to the petition because 200 thousands just not we're not there yet we need we need more signing a petition so that and then and then really it it's working on the impact my turn my turn and you know we've had this amazing groundswell of support and now we want to empower people to be able to take action and make change and actually you know translate that passion into into really doing something so we're trying to support people with that and we've been collecting key for sheer stories so people have been sending us off for their stories and I spent four hours reading these they are absolutely amazing thank you so much for sending them in I mean it's it's just um really heartening actually I go to that at night feeling really optimistic about the state of affairs in the world because I can see that there are people that really want to make a difference and it just it's really cool who are the people that inspired you that you're females in your life yeah maybe ones that you knew your family but also the ones that you watched on telly or you read things are they've written who are the people that inspired you um what's Mother's Day soon so I guess the obvious choices is my own mum she was a single working mother she's also type 1 diabetic so seeing her strength and resilience and was really inspiring growing up really inspiring and I think she instilled in me you know particularly in my teenage years when I was feeling very insecure and confused about what my purpose was um she really really instilled in me that what I was thinking and what I was doing and what I was saying were ultimately infinitely more important than my physical appearance even when the world was really telling me the contrary so and she really she really encouraged me to be an individual I remember her being thrilled when I got my first attention because she was 10 she was really worried I think that I was gonna be a bit straight-laced and was it all oh I failed the last one exam I failed an exam Eliza detention yeah I fell well I think I felt a few times actually maybe more than one anyway that's not going to that but no but I think she did she wanted me to be my own person and she thought a bit of rebellion was was a good thing um I'm not sure how failing my last example is rebelling but we'll say well we'll go with that um so yeah my mom she's awesome yeah it's great lady the UN obviously is a huge organization and when they approached you did you approach then how did it come about so um I I had already been working for I'd already been working for fair trade for a fair trade company which was supporting women abroad so that they had sort of economic independence and then I was also working for a charity called Camfed which provides scholarships for girls in countries where they wouldn't normally get to go usually it's boys that sons and girls don't get really past primary school education so so I've been doing work with that so I think they knew where my interests were they lie and they so they've reached out to me and then we saw I had this amazing conversation with with Elizabeth who works the UN in the audience and it was really just a meeting of minds because she said well you know we have this thing called he for she and it's you know and I went oh my god you know it's completely my take on feminism but we need to be included men in the conversation we need to be including them in the dialogue I have four brothers I can see gender inequality is affecting them just as much as it's affecting me we need to open up the dialogue and we need to give men a space where they feel that they can talk about this issue um and she was like well what's what it is and she gave me the baton and I've kind of been running as hard as I can ever since so it would just kind of felt very like very meant to be and I was clearing out my room a few months ago and found you know essays I'd written when I essays and diary entries I'd written when I was fifteen and I can sort of see with hindsight that that speech had sort of been gestating in my head for for a long time and I mean I never thought I'd be working for the UN it's just amazing but um I think it felt like that when we watched it I think people would agree for watching and in here I think we would agree with that that that's been percolating quite a while so what were the things when you were growing up that you couldn't but in hindsight you now go that was unfair that was not that was not cool what were the things we would want to change initially if there was one thing you could just stamp out right now it would there be something I mean I've been incredibly I've been incredibly lucky I really have been supported and had access to just a lot of opportunities that women and other countries probably aren't so you know I I would never complain about my personal situation but gosh I guess it's just I think it starts young I think it starts really young with girls and boys being told what they have to be and it can just be really damaging I think yeah I mean it's difficult because I have been incredibly fortunate and I don't you know I think just just encourage and include each other don't throw and sort of ostracize each other and and and and just don't just have an open mind and don't have expectations based based on on the gender and all the sex you see you see in front of you I mean there was a BBC report today just about the fact that in maths and science and engineering and you know all of these other subjects that girls just aren't aren't doing as well and and the biggest reason they say for that is because these are generally associated to be male male subjects and so women or young girls feel that if they did those subjects they would be inherently less attractive and you know that's that's another example of you know dispel that myth you know like it does it doesn't need to be like that it was interesting what you said about your brothers um experiencing gender equality yeah um in what way I mean not specific that's era but what in what way does it have they spoken to you about it from a male perspective um I think there's a lot of posturing that goes on um with with men and I've just had my brother say to me a few times that he's like I just can't be around the way that some of my guy friends talk about girls it just like I don't not sure they even know what they mean when they're saying it but it's like they're imitating something that imitating this this thing that they think they have to be this this mail idea and he's like I just feel really constrained by that and it really upsets me I had a very similar letter from a man in the military said that he experiences that a lot it's a I think we don't acknowledge how much pressure we put on men to conform to it to a son perception of masculinity I don't think we do so yeah it's not it's nice it's nice to hear that and seeing how upset they get when you know for example after I gave my speech in September I wasn't going to talk about this but it's coming up you know there there was a website that was set up threatening to release naked photographs of me you know with like a countdown and whatever else and I knew it was a hoax I mean I knew the pictures didn't exist but I think I think a lot of people that were close to me knew gender equality was an issue but they didn't really think it was that urgent or particularly you know we live we live in Great Britain you know this isn't it this is this is a thing of the past Johnny you know oppression of women it's sort of we're fine aren't we were good we've we've got far enough and then when they saw that the minute I stepped up and talked about women's rights I was immediately threatened I mean within less than 12 hours I was receiving threats and I think I think they were really shocked and I'm particular one of my brother's was very upset so I think it was just a wake-up call of like oh this was like a real thing that's really happening now like now women are receiving threats in all sorts of different forms that was just one specific one and I think has upset that the media immediately reported it as fact without any evidence to the contrary and you know and it really just publicized something that was really really negative um but I mean if then it's funny because people like oh she's gonna be disheartened by this if anything it made me so much more determined I was just just raging I just I was just it made me so angry that I was just like this is why this needs to be this is why I have to be doing this this is why I have to be doing this um so if anything it it's um you know it actually if they were trying to put me off it did the opposite what was it absolutely well there's a wonderful message to that there was a despicable thing to do but you know as you say nasty things happen all the time is where you deal with them and the way you can channel that into into something that's all that energy about that and I channel that anger solutely channel that anger I thought it's absolutely fantastic when you were talking about I kind of I wrote down some notes actually I was watching it I wrote down be the aggressive versus submissive kind of odd moon between boys and girls from a young age and also use talking about both being free to be sensitive and strong know men and women yeah and where were you when I was 15 or someone to say that do you know that's because I I've always been a massive softie I love Coldplay I'm I've really that I need these but you know but when you're surrounded if I I've played a lot cricket a lot sports school and you have a lot of rules as that and that was not something that I really liked particularly and so it needed I think I think that's a really powerful message to to everyone watching this now who's going through going through puberty going through those teenage years but some difficult it's so horrible I mean you don't know what you I don't know what's going on so I think someone like you standing up and saying things like lies really important and you must feel that from your fans the feedback from people must have been yeah thank God you said something like this was oh yeah I hope so I mean I'm really genuinely disturbed by this idea that men can't cry and I'm like and that they can't they just can't express themselves they can't talk about how they actually feel that's the thing that's actually the saddest thing in the world it's so bad I can cry believe me excellent like awesome anthem it's crazy it's what makes you human like how you feel being able to express yourself being passionate being emotional it's what makes you human it's not what makes you a girl it's what makes you human I mean it it's you know it's if you've got a beating heart and you care about things that's great that's so good um so yeah good yeah let's move on some fun question Terry um so what happened was you put Emma put on some on your Facebook fan page give me some questions and I will try and answer them there were so many questions but what we decided to do was we look through them and just thought the the big themes okay of the questions so we'll we'll start off with I'll start with this question here so the heebie supporters would like to know how gender equality has affected you personally and have you been discriminated personally against because of your gender and if so how did you deal with it good question well um yes I have um you know I when I was looking I was going through comments the whistlin in for this for this Q&A and most of them were really thoughtful and and great and then I know one and then I was going through one popped up which was just Emma why aren't you in the kitchen um well okay uh interesting and you know it's interesting because when I was younger my brothers actually used to say things like that to me because as a joke because they knew I would get I would get riled up I'd get a you know they'd get a rise out of me basically as I was thinking about this I think that you know when do you engage and when do you not and and how do you have a meaningful dialogue on this topic when perhaps one isn't isn't really being wanted and and so I guess what I would tell my younger self if someone said that to me then and you know and how I feel about it now is that I know that I'm not alone in this fight that it's an education problem and that it's it in the not-too-distant future I really hope that most people will be horrified by a comment like that as opposed to sort of mildly act and so I guess you know it's just I have a much calmer conviction now I think that I used to when I was younger I mean I still I still it still does upset me and it's good that it upsets me because it should but you know I think I know the difference between knowing when to knowing when someone wants to have a you know a meaningful dialogue about gender equality and I don't when someone just just you know just wants to get a rise out of you I think there's quite a lot of discussion about gender equality in the developing world and that's obviously a big a huge problem as we mentioned earlier about the the traditional route in many countries would be for boys to go to school secondly school girls not to how would you how does that make you feel first of all and what would you like to see over the next few years gosh I just I mean first of all if someone had told me that my brother could go to school but I couldn't because I was a girl I just would have been so hot and so baffled and so why and the fact that this is still going on you know the world over really something that really needs to be addressed but I guess I just say how and why are you not recognizing the potential of that girl what why are you not recognizing what she can bring to the table and um we need we need hearing and yang we we need that balance and we need female representation we need female leadership women women have so much to offer with such an untapped um part of of this world so much potential just gets wasted because girls aren't encouraged in the same way that men are we can we can achieve so much it's interesting because I literally this morning came back from a comic relief trip in Uganda and we and we were focused in a in a village called Ilhwa which is they just put a new health center there apart quarterly from them and it was absolutely fascinating experience and visiting some local schools and things to see there were many many girls there things are changing but it just need it needs campaigns like he pushy I think to really push this message home it's not it's it's a global problem but something will make the amazing things about the sign up of men so far to the website is that it there's there's there's men in every country that was signed up to this yeah so it is it is reaching that global audiences nervous it definitely is and I think even in even in Britain you know we have an equal number of women at university as men but then in a certain point we're just dropping out we're just we just aren't being encouraged into those leadership positions we're just not we're not getting past a certain point and so yes and needs addressing abroad but it still needs addressing here you know in in the West we don't we're not there at all we've still got so much work that we need to do and and that we need to pioneer what do you say to the people that message you on your social networks and say someone said I can't do an engineering course because I am a girl and this is a this must be great it's regular isn't it people say me something no it is regular ah just don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do or can or cannot achieve just don't allow it just do not allow it um it's wrong it's so wrong um be whatever you want to be and and that's the amazing thing about social media is that you know whatever wherever you live in the world or whatever conditioning or whatever the people around you might think you can access whole community of other people that think differently and they'll want to support you and you know it was that was a crazy moment for me was you know not rethinking I just responded immediately to this girl who takes a no my dad says girls can't be engineers and I just said well and what can I do you know about this of them go and be an engineer just go improvements can do it and and then within you know a couple of hours three or four different engineering academies fellowships whatever else had I had contacted her and said women can definitely be engineers and we'd love to help you do that and that's amazing that's so amazing that's the amazing thing about what social media can do is it is it is it connects people in the world to to a community that they might not be able to access directly around them and and helps them you know think think bigger we have someone in the audience would like to ask a question where is Ella please Ella are you here now hold on we need to get you a microphone otherwise no one's going to hear you so there you go and like okay we can hear you and media states you and less in your film roles in the Harry Potter series and then Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint is it true and how can we address the issue of unequal pay between men and women good question thank you interesting question thank you I don't think I would ever even dream of complaining about my personal circumstances but yes that there is a big problem in my industry in the film industry in the industry which which I work currently females comprise 7% of directors 7% 19.7% writers 2.2 percent our producers 13% executives are women in the film industry and and we know that when you have a female writer or when you have a female director and you know there's a there's a higher you know representation of women so so that's a pretty huge huge problem which yes I need to which needs to be addressed yeah thank you for the question those statistics are terrible oh I know I think it's really bad it's really really really bad I think we saw that acknowledged at the Oscars this year I think there is there's an awareness but you know 7% of directors of female 7% why are we not telling women's stories why are women not telling their own stories directing their own stories it's crazy it's got to be done so where does that start is it I mean obviously he for she it's pretty much men and women studying together working together to become you know for it for it to be for it to become a normal thing that everyone is equal so where does it begin in tackling it in a thing like the film industry how do you start that dr. moments why I've struggled with it in my own life as a woman which is some reason women are still in the place where we feel like we need to be given permission like we'd some what we need permission to BR full cells to use our full voice to to to want to lead and I think that has to change we're with encouragement and role models and you know just changing that changing that mindset a lot of the comments that I read on on your Facebook page were from a new generation of activists I suppose so your young fans who have grown up watching you and you know been a fan of yours for many years and they are a new generation it makes me so happy to hear you calling my fans like activists it's so cool right that's true they are yeah they are they're a powerful army really yeah um seriously and but I can galvanize so many different types of people as well so a lot of the comments were sort of saying okay I'm on board yeah what now what what do you need to do give me some give me some instructions missing the structure so if there's there's boys and girls watching this right now yeah back to school tomorrow yeah what are the things that they can do are they shouting about things are they saying you shouldn't really talk about women that way what what are the things that they could do the simple everyday things gosh well you know it's quite I think if people feel intimidated because they feel like they have to come up with like some grand huge scheme that you know it's not as complicated or intimidating as that actually it's it's everyday it's individuals it's it's on a case-by-case basis taking action just doing something whether it's speaking up whether it's you know just trying to change the way that that someone else thinks about the issues um it's it's a it can be done in so many different ways and the story is that I've been I've been getting are a testament to that but there's some really creative ideas which we're actually going to start publishing people's stories on the website of what people are doing and and and how they're choosing to help but I can't tell people it's got to be your story it's got to be how you personally can make a difference and it can be anything and the smallest thing a smallest gesture goes such a long way it does it really really does there's also a lot of comments about the about the dichotomy mm-hmm that's a great word by the way between between chivalry and sexism okay and I think this kind of goes back to what we talked about earlier which is yeah I'm with a my opinion is like a man saying am i feminist I don't know what that means I'm treading on eggshells around the whole thing so there was a lot of people were sort of saying things like as a as a woman would you be offended if a man opened the door for you there's a lot of people who think about things like that and go well I mean they're worried maybe about the smallest issues but what how would you how would you feel um because I'm a base what I do when we leave here all I say now okay okay precious let you know um I love having the door open for me I love I mean isn't that just polite it's not just night it's not just a nice thing to do for someone else I love having the door open for me I love being taken to dinner it's so great um but I think the key is um would you then mind if I open the door for you absolutely not in the corridor no I'm lazy oh then that works great yeah that just I'm polite and you're polite yeah absolutely we're making the world a better place with this small kind polite gesture great and again you know I've um I actually took a man out for dinner and I chose the restaurant and I offered to pay and it was really awkward and uncomfortable I'm just gonna say that it was he was not it was not going down well he was not it was not because I'm sure he would say he was a feminist but he was just like oh this is a bit more about making him feel a bit touchy which I quit but the cool thing about it was was that we were both willing to have the conversation about why it was awkward or why it was uncomfortable or or you know like you know we were able to have this dialogue where I was like well it's okay uh I'd we need I chose the restaurant because it's my favorite restaurant and I would love to pay but but next time you choose the place and you pay or whatever it is you're gonna split it or whatever makes you each feel comfortable but it's just I think the key is like chivalry should be consensual it both parties should be should be feeling good about that and I think it's just a problem when people expect things to be a certain way to follow a certain status program it's awkward and it's messy and we're in transition right now and everyone doesn't really feel I don't know what to do but it's okay and just just be willing to have that awkward conversation it does come out okay and it does it really does also Nando's is quite cheap so you're probably fun yeah so I like numbers I like Mondays yeah so I think we I think we've covered that one yeah I think we good on that yeah politeness is great I love parties is politeness machinery to humans right that's the thing yes oh that's the key equally open the door for a man and I would you know that's fine just be a polite I've been brought up well by my mother yeah let's say open the door for someone hold the door from someone this is key and I and I would do the same okay um a lot of questions on the Facebook page in the comments about LGBT community okay so the BBC campaign in your in your statement we there were people who watched it and thought okay great but what about my community what about people around me and in my life so how will he be she campaign benefit the LGBT community okay really good question really important question so here she is about men coming in to support women and unfeminist e and feminine qualities because they are currently valued less by our society feminine qualities of generally valued less and I think feminine femininity needs to be embraced wherever its found whether it be found in a man whether it be found in a woman whether it be found in a gender non-conforming person wherever its found we we need to be embracing it I'm also against racism and homophobia and classism and ableism and Jena phobia and and all of it I mean my specific mandate is to advocate for women and girls I'm a UN goodwill ambassador for women so you know I'm here to do that but but I also understand that these oppressions are interlocking mutually reinforcing and the intersectionality is a really important word here and we just need to be supporting each other definitely 100% and I hope the LGBT community does feel included and does feel that this is their movement because it is it definitely is so I thank you and so I grew general is watching this my dream would be that I will be working for the UN equality agency that that gender equality would be such a thing of the past that that wouldn't even need to exist it would just be UN equality agency . . yes done that's the dream that is the dream it was a question that just flashed off a minute ago that sheet up here which was I don't know where it's gone now it's it's gone but it is that's good how did you know what I was thinking it's Facebook they know everywhere it was gone again great it was basically a question which said if you didn't do something now with this campaign with HEPA she what do you think would be happening in ten years time and what are your fears about what your worst fears about in the next ten years if this doesn't if we don't make a stand now hmm I think um some reason we we have this view women have the vote in this country you know we were doing right it's it's innocent there's a lack of a sense of urgency around this issue and also people not really understanding what a huge impact this this issue has all over the world I think it's probably one of the biggest contributors to poverty to violence to discrimination it hindrance it hinders development progress or all over the world and you know just for example I was I was reading The Guardian this morning as reporters in the guard this morning 85,000 women are raped in the UK a year 85,000 I swear we're at 16 percent gender pay gap parliament 77% male I mean just tell me there isn't a problem here just tell me there isn't a problem it just doesn't make sense to me that we we're so we're so not there yet at UK the UK ranked 56th in the world for female political representation we we hopefully should move up to 36 in May but still embarrassing I mean we're meant to be one of the biggest most progressive democracies in the world we be at the forefront of this we we should be we should be leading the way and we're split straggling behind we we're not it's just sort of stagnating for some reason and yeah those figures again a ridiculous oh boy why has it been these came out but do you think it's got like that because like you said oh when we got the vote it's fine yeah so that was those are quite a while ago yeah I think they think that gender inequality is you know I don't know what they think it's but it's it's definitely a problem it's definitely a problem now and this is why there's something that came up someone about um you know Oh first world feminism that's who cares about that and I find this really confusing because I'm like surely um surely I've been incredibly privileged and I haven't been held back because I'm a girl but surely it's therefore my responsibility to make sure that other women have access to the same privileges that I have surely that's passed us surely it'd be bad if I wasn't doing this like um you know extending and making sure that the what I've been lucky enough to receive in my life is extended is extended out is it extended outwards so yeah crazy figures really upsetting figures I wanted to address I think we kind of covered this but I wanted to address it because it was talked about a lot on your Facebook page but the obviously though it generated a lot of conversation when you did the UN speech it was something crazy like 1.2 billion social media conversations I mean that's that's great that's a great start a lot of people were not a lot but there was a lot of criticism from about the role of women in the movement okay so that was kind of oh well is this a man's club type thing is this men saving women but I think it's very important that that's not the message from this campaign at all no it's not about men saving women and it's um and I think it's a misunderstanding I think that's a misunderstanding I think women already in the club we're already in the club and because it's it's our movement it's our movement it's not a men's club it's an equality Club for both genders it's an equality Club for both genders it's about men coming in support of women and women coming in support of men it's it's it's both of those things and um Gloria Steinem actually so-called Gloria Steinem Sonam gave a speech last week at a he for she event in New York surreal amazing and she she's this really beautiful kind of amazing metaphor she said that the human race is like a bird and it needs both of its wings to be able to fly and the moment one of its wings is clipped and we're never ever ever going to be able to fly as high unless unless you know we're but we're both in support of each other it's that's it I mean we created Hiva she specifically at UN Women because we wanted to create a space where men felt that they were able to express what gender and equality was like for them because we knew that historically you know there hadn't been given that space they hadn't been given that safe space but we wanted to be part of the solution and the conversation and we want them to be taking action with with us and we want to do it together yeah well I feel like that that's a that's a good moment to say get yourself onto the website and pledge your allegiance bees pledge your allegiance there's lots of you saying you support it but go and like it takes like two seconds of promise I hate filling in online forms I got it's so boring and annoying you'll it just type in your name and you like take a box and like it's ten it's like 10 seconds but it'll be really cool if if we could have more people that's new $40 that's just sorry it's not it's a um yeah it's it's a commitment it's that's what it is you go on the website and you make your commitment pleased if you're a man and you believe in equality and you're one of those cool male feminists that I've been meeting recently go go and put your name on our website dawg I don't know feminist but I'm not particularly cool but that's that's fine okay we like like that's fine uncool man and welcome to okay another another controversial question actually is about the court about what what are you doing to address the discrimination against men or violence towards men from women well first of all we're even acknowledging that it exists because I think people don't think this is a thing again it's like we're not I don't think in the past we've addressed how men are suffering as a result of gender inequality this has not been part of the conversation but it is you know men are the recipients of violence and abuse and discrimination and I think just acknowledging it first of all as it is is a big step and then you know we're also trying to give them a safe space where they feel like they can talk about these issues whether previously you know wasn't the fall and we want to try and you know help and support and support them um we you know I think violence against anyone is apparent and but just because we're saying it's not right that women are the recipients of violence we're definitely not encouraging violence against men that's definitely that's wrong you know how the logic works um yeah it's equally equally important one of the wonderful things in that speech which I keep going back to because it affected me quite a lot I really you know I've really enjoyed it and I really connected what you said but the thing I think a lot of your fans and people watching this can take away is when you talked about if not me then who and if not now then when and that's again you all sort of underline the urgency of this yeah because this is a problem it's happening right now it's not really getting much better than that's right I've it's pretty interesting I like hairless a lot and I've hired my girlfriend's there and I've had my guy friends say it too which is just you know I saw this thing happened today and I'm I was so rubbish it was just so embarrassing what they were saying and so you know whatever else but I just thought you know Who am I you know or what good would it do if I said something it's like the person that was the recipient of that misogynistic comment or you know or whatever it was make a huge difference to them massive difference to them I could change their day their month their year maybe even their life really could so don't don't ever hear in your own head Who am I to say something you are a human being you are a person you can 100% change the world um and it's small ways it's everyday ways it's it's the little things really count and really matter and be brave be brave be brave we have a little bit of time for some questions from the audience that's all right so we do have anybody who would like to ask a question yours was the speediest hand I've ever seen that was straight up the the guy in the hogwarts jumper so brace yourself okay I'm braced wait for the microphone okay hi Emma hi there we go we're on them yeah hi Anna I'm Thomas every time I'm involved in a debate about gender equality specifically equal pay the most frequent argument are you against it is that it shouldn't be faithful women to will be paid the same as men sorry because it's more likely for women to be taking time off from maternity leave obviously that's not really fair at all not really visible what would you have to say to people who have that argument gosh yeah I've come I've come up a cross I've come across this argument a lot I guess I would just say that maternity leave in this country is around two months two or three months and I don't think in the grand scheme of things that's that's the kind of amount of time that's that's really going to hinder a woman from being able to achieve and be incredibly effective in whatever her particular field is and I think men should be equal partners in in raising children I do I think there shouldn't be an assumption that having children is something that only affects women because men women need men's support in those circumstances just as much and I think it's a really unfair assumption to make that it's only women that are going to be sidetracked by raising children it's one of the most important things as a human being you know that you can be involved with is fostering and nurturing a human being and men need to be playing their part too I don't think it's enough to to discriminate against a woman or hold her back or or not to recognize the potential that she has thank you Tom great question jumper yeah great great great question um okay we have loads more yes wavy lady hand there yes you have name tags above okay yeah you should hi girl is it working are we on yes very yes hello hello I am Sophie if you had the magic power what would you change to a woman and what could you convince male employees to support reaction how do I encourage male police to support women and a police force and how would you convince male employees male employees because I am from a business but to support your actions to support justice for your actions how would you how would you commits male employees to support your actions in a workplace gosh I mean the pay gap is such a big one it's like if you know that a woman is doing exactly the same work that you are and you know that she's being paid less be so cool if you said something about it I would be amazing that would be so great and if you're you know if you're a business leader or if you if you you know if you have that power that's off your country of your company then you know ask the question all the women you're employing being paid the same and make sure that you are it's yeah make sure that you are and um yeah it's I suppose of those managers and yes is watching this yeah they should be that's yeah all the things they do next week yeah please just go through just look at just look at it look at your figures honestly and and just see our UK women the same as men for the same work yes sir in the purple you might have to wait some time for this microphone to get parts back here unless you brought your own microphone in which case you can use that that would be I've come prepared he's so cool I knew I'd get the opportunity finally hi Emma my name is Hersh I wanted to ask you well firstly I'm a big fan of Hermione Granger but a bigger fan Emma Watson who is the face for he pushy my question essentially is that if you were a man would you be equally passionate about gender equality if I was a man yes you know it's interesting ya think quite hard about this if I was a man um my I'd say my brother actually weirdly is more of a feminist than I am he's he's pretty passionate and we look a bit like twins so that see it so I can kind of get myself in a headset no uh yeah I would I definitely would um because it's right not because I have a mother or a sister or you know whatever just just because just because it's right are you passionate because you're a man good excellent good to see yes ma'am tie in the front row lovely night yeah I'm really big fan of your work and my question is regarding something that I'm currently studying and it's regarding gender in the workplace and it's what would you say are the real causes of gender inequality in the workplace and how do you think he for she can help overcome this problem and then recording the workplace yeah Liz Lange talks a lot about it we have um you know even even though in in Britain for example we've passed laws and we passed legislation there's still a big gap in in people's minds and people's mindsets you know traditional traditions and social change it just just takes time changing the way that people think it's a slow process so it's really asking someone the right question that makes them go ah yeah I guess that does make sense or I guess this thing that's happening doesn't really make sense but I've just accepted it because that's how things have always been so I guess it's just questioning its being willing to question things and make up your own mind thank you very much unfortunately we have run out of time for audience question we could be here for sister but thank you so much one final thing from me do you think that it's possible in our lifetimes to achieve what you're trying to set out to achieve gender equality uh at current rates no I will probably be dead but I think I'm just gonna refuse to die I think I'm just gonna be like no I I'm not gonna do are you're not gonna get rid of me until I get to see an equal number of female prime ministers and presidents and CEOs and more men that actually feel like it's okay to express how they really feel about things and more fathers for our present in their children's lives and you know and until I see us all more policing and ostracizing each other and oppressing each other and when I live in a world where there just isn't such a narrowly defined definition of masculinity and femininity just pop gonna go it just won't just refuse if someone could scientifically come up with a way for that to happen please please let me know Emily Rosen crime I'd like to be yeah so that I can come back and be alive to to witness a world where as gender equality that would be called well thank you so much for time today ladies and gentlemen Emma Watson let me go thank you for your questions thank you very much aware you are wonderful ordinance yeah you really were thank you so much for everyone that came and sent in and just interacted and engaged with this it's it's been amazing thank you and thank you for watching as well if you've been inspired by what's gone on here today and want to find out more about the campaign and get on to the he pushy Facebook page and sign up pledge your allegiance to it I I've certainly been galvanized into it and I and I am one of them so keep on Emma's Facebook page as well and thank you so much for watching goodbye from Facebook thank you so much that's great

Channel: Totally Emma Watson

Views: 64,877

Rating: 4.9277697 out of 5

Keywords: HeForShe, Emma Watson (Celebrity), Human Rights (Quotation Subject), March 8 (Day Of Year), International Women's Day (Holiday), United Nations (Membership Organization), Q&A, Women's Rights (Conference Subject), facebook, IWD2015

Id: n4xzvDzP-lA

Length: 64min 18sec (3858 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 09 2015