Bad Ass Babes | Why Emma Watson is a Great Role Model for Girls

Bad Ass Babes is a monthly series that features women who have gone out into the universe and made it a better, more interesting place. These are the women who make the world go ’round. The women that our daughters need to know about and hear about and learn from.

Emma Watson is pretty much the epitome of Bad Ass Babe. Not only is she a talented actress that I’m happy to see my girls look up to, but she has also chosen to use her voice to speak out for a cause she feels strongly about: feminism.

Let’s start from the beginning…

Hermione Granger

Obviously, Emma Watson isn’t responsible for the creation of Hermione Granger (that distinction belongs to another Bad Ass Babe we’ll have to discuss some other time), but she breathed life into a character that is not-so typical. Hermione is smart and clever and very brave. She has a strong point of view and holds on to her beliefs whether they make her popular or not. She speaks her mind and fights for what’s just and is often the one people turn to when they’re unsure. Hermione is a pretty Bad Ass Babe herself. I can’t help but wonder if playing her for so long and starting at such an early age helped to shape who Emma Watson would become.

HeForShe

More recently, Emma Watson has become a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped to launch the #HeForShe movement, which is working to unite men and women all over the world to take action in creating a gender equal world.

Here is a snippet of her speech, where she sounds very much like a grown-up Hermione Granger taking a stand:

“My recent research has shown me that ‘feminism’ has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists… Why has the word become such an unpopular one?

I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that affect my life. I think it is right that, socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.”

You can watch her full speech here.

Education

Another quality I just love about this girl is her commitment to education. She became a well-known celebrity at a pretty young age. Many people in that position would have been happy to leave it at that—which is totally fine. But Emma Watson valued education and decided that, for her, it was important. Important enough to fit in studying at Oxford and Brown Universities between filming. Important enough to have the Harry Potter filming schedule work around her exams.

I love a girl who knows what she wants and figures out a way to get it. I especially love my daughters to look up to that kind of girl.

Feminist book club

Recently, Emma has started a book club called Our Shared Shelf. Now, you know I love a good book club (cough, cough, Paperback Posse, cough). She started this one because she’s been reading a lot on gender equality for her work with UN Women and wanted to open up a discussion to get all sorts of views and ideas about certain books. She chooses a book each month and has said she will attempt to have the author or other prominent voices on the subject join in the discussion.

OK, now that I have completely geeked out, I also feel like I need to add that another fantastic quality is the fact that she doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously. I like a girl who can look perfectly put together one minute and dance her heart out the next. It’s completely endearing and a quality I hope to teach my girls to embrace.

Alright, are you an Emma Watson fan? What do you love about her?

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