Emma Watson continues to be an amazing role model to her fans and feminists all over the world. In a recent survey made by ICM for the National Citizen Service, Watson was named "the most inspiring celebrity," beating other famous stars such as Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Zayn Malik.
The survey found out that "feminist" is now the most popular term to describe women, garnering the majority vote of 29 percent. 1,000 teenagers were subjected to the survey, and many of the volunteers agreed that Watson is one of their most influential role models.
They said their admiration for Watson is rooted from her tireless work in using her fame to promote gender equality for women and her inspirational speeches against common societal discriminations such as sexism, racism and homophobia. One volunteer even said: "I find Emma Watson so inspirational ... I've always looked up to her as someone who isn't afraid to articulate her views ... Feminism is so important to me."
Watson, aside from playing Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" film franchise, is known for her charitable acts and for being an outspoken activist towards feminism and gender equality, particularly her role in the HeforShe campaign, a solidarity initiative started by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Regarding the result of the survey, Natasha Krizzie, NCS marketing director, said in a press release: "The rise of internet feminism and increasingly politically engaged youth has brought these issues to the forefront of the news agenda, and the "Emma Watson effect": has done brilliant things for the cause."
She added, "She inspires young people to never limit their expectations of what they can achieve on the basis on their gender. I am heartened by our findings, and I hope this increasing empowerment of young people continues."
Although the majority of the girls who participated in the survey labeled themselves as "feminists," the result is not the same for the boy respondents. In the survey, only five percent of the boys identify themselves as "feminists," with many choosing other labels such as "gamer," which got 39 percent of the votes, and "intellectual," which garnered 25 percent.
