Actress and Humanitarian, Emma Watson Can Do No Wrong

On July 7, the beloved and brainy starlet, Emma Watson, was named the latest Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women. The Brit actress, who first won our hearts playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, joins the ranks of multiple other actresses, including Nicole Kidman, Susan Sarandon, Mia Farrow, and Audrey Hepburn who’ve worked towards women’s and human equality within the United Nations.

The 24 year-old, Brown University graduate says she’s humbled by the UN’s decision. “The chance to make a real difference is not an opportunity that everyone is given and is one I have no intention of taking lightly,” says Watson on the UN Women’s website. “Women’s rights are something so inextricably linked with who I am, so deeply personal and rooted in my life that I can’t imagine an opportunity more exciting.” The well-respected actress acknowledges that while she has a lot more to learn, she’s hoping to bring her own experiences and awareness to the UN.

While Kidman – who became a Goodwill Ambassador in 2006 – focused her UN work on spotlighting and ending violence against women, Watson’s endeavor will target general gender equality. Specifically, she’ll be an advocate for the HeForShe campaign. HeForShe is a solidarity movement, calling for men and boys to speak up against inequality. Currently, their YouTube Channel includes interviews with Patrick Stewart, Matt Damon, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Babatunde Osotimehin; and Chairmen of Emerging Markets at Microsoft, Orlando Ayala.

The UN’s decision to bring Watson on board comes with little shock since she has long fought for women’s equality. Her first ambassador title was given in 2012, when she started working with the education non-profit, Camfed. Though the organization works to make sure all children receive schooling, Watson’s work was focused closely on female education.

Of course, the Internet has been abuzz ever since Watson made her announcement on both Twitter and Facebook. The buzz was so big, in fact, that after Watson tweeted her excitement a rush of traffic flooded the UN Women’s website and crashed it for the better part of the day. The site’s malfunction only further enforced Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, beliefs that Watson will grab the younger generation’s attention and direct it towards women’s empowerment. “The engagement of young people is critical for the advancement of gender equality in the 21st century,” Mlambo-Ngcuka stated in the press release.

A sub-project within the United Nations, UN Women was officially formed four years ago during the global organization’s reform agenda. It combined several previous gender equality programs, in order to further women empowerment work within the UN. Numbers have long shown that female empowerment isn’t just about basic human rights. Gender equality and educating women has continuously shown positive socio-economic impacts. The site summarizes: “Empowering women fuels thriving economies, spurring productivity and growth.” And the UN has been working with celebrities from all over the world since the 1950s with the goal of attracting every day people and directing their focus to pivotal issues.

Aside from her humanitarian work, Watson is currently preparing to film The Queen of the Tearling, a movie based off the novel of the same name, written by Erika Johansen. This film will also mark Watson’s first time working as an executive producer.

What You Didn’t Know About UN Women

• UN Women was created so that there would be a united force within the UN to promote gender equality globally and tackle the multiple challenges including insufficient funding
  

  Model, fashion designer, & UN Ambassador, Alek Wek

• UN Women are currently attending this year’s International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia. The group is a co-sponsor of UNAIDS, and – among many things – supported South African leader and activist from the International Community of Women, Promise Mthembu, as she led a special session earlier today.
• It was during the 1995 Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing that former first lady, Hilary Clinton declared: “Women’s rights are human rights.”
• At this year’s Beijing+20 campaign kickoff, Mlambo-Ngcuka announced that she is giving gender inequality “an expiry date.” Meaning, the UN has promised to achieve full equality by 2030.
• UN Ambassador, Nicole Kidman won’t take a role that portrays her character as a sex object. Instead she looks for characters that are strong, independent, and “free to make their own decisions,” she told Congress and DoSomethingGood.com. “The film industry should not portray women in ways that might contribute to discrimination or violence against them.”
• Kidman is one of 5 million people urging governments to make stopping violence against women a top priority. Sign up at saynotoviolence.org.
• Watson isn’t new to the activist and volunteer life. She’s been working with charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital, Millennium Promise Alliance, and Shelter Box, for years.
• Other UN celebrity ambassadors include South Sudanese/British model, Alek Wek; pop star, Katy Perry (UNICEF); Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand; international pop star, Shakira (UNICEF); and Whoopi Goldberg.

Photo courtesy of UN Women & Feature image by Aaron Poole / ©A.M.P.A.S.