Emma Watson reveals how she recently dealt with harsh criticism

Emma Watson, known for her vocal activism - all related to women's rights, runs a campaign known as HeForShe. The campaign stands for equal rights for men and women.

While some lauded her effort to raise a voice for gender equality, others criticised her, labelling her as a white, privileged feminist, whose programme HeforShe was trying to imply that men are the saviours of oppressed women.

Speaking about it to ELLE, Emma stated, "There is a level of criticism that comes with being an actress and a public figure, which I expect, but once you take a stance on something like feminism, that's a completely different ball game."



The Harry Potter actor revealed how she got over all the harsh criticism. "There were a couple of days when I just didn't want to come out from under the duvet. At first, I wasn't sure if I should allow myself to be upset by it, but then I realised I needed to give myself 24 hours to sulk, and then move forward. I got a lot of support from other feminist voices, too. I had to remind myself that the criticism wasn't personal and it was par for the course." she added.

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While some supported her, criticism from other feminists is what shook her. opening up about it, the Beauty and the Beast star confessed, "It's difficult to hear criticism from people you consider your peers and who you believe are on the same side. But some of it you just have to not engage with, and you become more robust."

The actor also revealed another approach she takes in order to deal with disapproval that comes her way. "Sometimes you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Feminism can be humorous, and we all have a different way of approaching that. I often wonder what mischief I can make to spread the word in a playful way. You can't take everything in life seriously, can you?"



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Emma professed that she really doesn't let what anyone says about her, affect her state of mind anymore. "This is exhausting. I certainly feel that after taking this year off, I care much less about offending people or trying to make everyone around me comfortable all the time. You know, sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and you will live."

Putting all the rumours to rest, Emma reiterated that she wasn't experienced enough to pen down her own story just yet. "I need to see and do a bit more first," she said.

"It's not like I have been reading this material for years, and I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge. It can be a lot of pressure sometimes, as people expect me to know so much. I'm no expert, and when people push me into a corner of 'here's Emma Watson to lecture you on feminism', it's uncomfortable because I am aware I have a long way to go. I am not sure I deserve all the respect I get yet, but I'm working on it." she concluded.

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