Malala Yousafzai, a human rights and education advocate from Pakistan and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, once had troubles calling herself a "feminist," saying that feminism is a "tricky word" but through the help of "He For She" ambassador Emma Watson, Malala now believes everyone should be a feminist.
"It has been a tricky word. When I heard it the first time I heard some negative responses and some positive ones. I hesitated in saying am I feminist or not?" Malala said (via The Guardian).
Malala Yousafzai first met "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson at the premiere of the documentary entitled "He Named Me Malala," which was primarily about her. And in an interview with Watson, Malala shared that it was Emma's feminism speech to the United Nations last year, which inspired the Pakistani advocate to embrace feminism.
"After hearing your speech, when you said, 'If not now, when? If not me, who?' I decided there's no way, and there's nothing wrong with calling yourself a feminist. I am a feminist and you're truly feminist, because feminism is another word for equality."
Malala also emphasized Watson's call for men to stand for women, citing her own father who she said played a big role in her life, "My father, he has set an example for all parents and all men that if we want equality and equal rights for women then men have to step forward."
"If we complain that women don't get equality, don't get equal rights, it means all the things are taken by men so they need to step back and say 'we are here to support.' It can't happen that it's just a few women's jobs or crazy feminists and they're going to change it and things are going to be changed soon. It's not going to happen like this. We all have to work together. That's how change will come," Malala added.
In the video she posted in Facebook, Watson called for everyone to not be scared to call themselves feminists, "I want to make it a welcoming and inclusive movement. Let's join our hands and move together so we can make real change. Malala and I are pretty serious about it but we need you."
