9 things we learned during Emma Watson's powerful International Women's Day Q&A

So what words of wisdom did the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Women have to impart on us? Here’s what we learned from Emma Watson’s incredible Q&A…

1. More of us are feminists than we know

“Feminism became dirty word because people associate it with man-hate and I don’t think that’s what it’s about at all,” Emma said.

“If you stand for equality, you’re a feminist – I’m sorry to tell you, but you are.”

2. Men need to get on board

“It’s uncomfortable, it’s awkward to acknowledge there is a problem, but we need to understand we are complicit,” the actress said.

“Leaving men out of the equation is just hindering the process but it’s not enough to ask men to come and support us.

“We really need to support each other, we really do. So, I guess I would say be brave enough to acknowledge that things are not there yet and support each other.”

3. There is a distinction between chivalry and sexism

“I wouldn’t mind if you held the door open for me, isn’t it just polite? The key is, would you mind if I held it open for you?” the Harry Potter star asked host Greg James.

“I once took a man out for dinner, I chose the place and I paid… and it was really awkward, it didn’t go down well!

“But the cool thing was we were both willing to have the conversation about why it was so uncomfortable.

“Chivalry is consensual and only becomes a problem when people expect things to be certain way and follow status quo .”

4. Gender equality doesn’t just affect women

“The impact and on how gender equality affects men hasn’t been addressed,” Emma said.

“I’m genuinely disturbed by idea that men can’t cry and express themselves.

“We don’t acknowledge the pressure that we put on men to conform to a certain level of masculinity,” she admitted.

“I’ve got four brothers, gender inequality is affecting them just as much as me. A lot of posturing goes on with men, my brother once said to me he just couldn’t be around his guy friends, the way they talk about girls.

“Men are suffering too, they’re victims of violence, abuse and discrimination too.”

5. And HeForShe are fighting for the LGBT community too

“HeForShe is about men coming to support women for femininity and for feminine qualities, because they are currently valued less in our society,” she said.

“Femininity needs to be embraced wherever it is … whether it be in a man or a woman or a non-conforming gender person.

“My specific mandate is to advocate for women and girls but I also understand that these oppressions are interlocking, mutually reinforcing.

“We need to be supporting each other, I hope they feel this is their movement, because it is.”

6. Women are often devalued in society

“Our society in general devalues the she, I mean the qualities that are associated with the feminine that are found in all of us,” Emma said.

“There’s this imbalance, this distortion that is just hindering our progress, it’s causing discord, violence and fear the world over.

“Britain is meant to be one of biggest most progressive democracies in world, we should be leading way but we’re straggling behind.

“Women are such an untapped part of this world, we have so much to offer yet so much potential is wasted.”

7. Children should be encouraged to follow their dreams

“I think it starts young with girls and boys being told what they have to be,” Emma said. “It can be really damaging.

“It’s an problem with education and I hope, in the not too distant future, we will be horrified rather than mildly irked.

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do or achieve. Do what you want to do and be who you want to be.

“Just encourage and include each other, don’t ostracise the gender in front of you.”

8. Gender equality is more urgent than you think

“After I gave my speech [at the UN] there was a website threatening to release naked pictures of me,” Emma recalled.

“I knew it was a hoax but I think a lot of people that were close to me knew gender equality was an issue but didn’t think it was that urgent, that it was a thing of the past.

“And then they saw the minute I stood up talking about women’s rights I was threatened.

“This is a real thing that’s happening now, women are receiving threats. It was a wake-up call.

“I was raging, it made me so angry, I was like, this is why I have to be doing this. If anything, if they were trying to put me off it, it did the opposite.”

9. Even Emma Watson gets detentions

“My mum was thrilled when I got my first detention, I think she was worried I was going to be straight-laced,” Emma laughed.

“I failed a Latin exam, I think I failed it a few times actually!”

“The most positive role model I’ve had is my mum, she was a single mother and a type one diabetic, so to see her strength and resilience was really inspiring growing up.

“I think she instilled in me in my teenage years when I was feeling very insecure, that what I was thinking, doing, saying, were infinitely more important than my physical appearance.”