Emma Watson launches UN bid to end gender inequality

British actress Emma Watson has called for more feminists in global society and urged men to promote gender equality in a speech to the United Nations.

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York at the launch of the UN's HeForShe gender equality campaign on Saturday, Watson said that her own decision to become a feminist was "uncomplicated" but she was often shocked that society associated feminism with being "too strong, too aggressive, anti-men, unattractive."

Watson, a UN women Global Goodwill Ambassador, spoke about the about the role men have in helping women and girls achieve equal rights, and said that liberating men from stereotypes ultimately benefits women.

Near the end of her speech, Watson made a joke about her Harry Potter fame by asking: "You might be thinking 'who is this Harry Potter girl?' And what is she doing up on stage at the UN. It’s a good question and trust me I have been asking myself the same thing. I don’t know if I am qualified to be here. All I know is that I care about this problem. And I want to make it better. "

You can read the full transcript of Emma Watson's speech here.