A Challenge to Emma Watson (and All Feminists): Learn about Challenges for Women with Disabilities

Actress, activist and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has long had our admiration for her moving speech at UN Headquarters in New York City to launch HeForShe, but it's perhaps even more admirable that she's learning feminism and activism as she goes--just like all of us--and is allowing fans to come with her on the journey. To that end, she announced last month that she will take a year off from acting for "personal development, including learning more about women's issues and advocating for women around the world. Because feminism includes the rights of all women some, like Sarah Blahovec writing for The Huffington Post, are urging Watson and other feminists to learn more about disability rights. Continue reading for more information, and for resources to learn even more.

huffingtonpost.com - Last week, actress and feminist powerhouse Emma Watson made waves in the media after announcing that she would be taking a year off of acting for “personal development” and to promote gender equality around the world. As somebody who grew up during the Harry Potter generation (the books spanned my childhood, and I graduated high school right before the final movie was released), I was one of the many girls that had Hermione Granger as a fictional role model in my life. Emma Watson is now one of the more visible and very admirable young feminist role models due to her work with the United Nations on promoting the HeforShe Campaign. And while she is taking on the challenge of promoting women’s equality around the world, I still see some room for growth in her feminism on something that is missing from most women’s (even intersectional) feminism. While examining intersections of race and class are starting to make a buzz (but still have very, VERY far to go), very few feminists know about the specific obstacles to equality for women with disabilities.

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How the Biggest Book Club on Goodreads Is Making a Real-World Impact

Actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has spent much of the last year learning as much as she can about feminism and women's causes, and she wants to share the learning journey. Goodreads covers their largest group: the books Watson and her book club friends worldwide are reading, and how the club is inspiring movements and clubs to organize around the globe. goodreads.com - When Emma Watson starts a book club, readers pay attention. On January 6, the British actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador announced her intention to start a feminist book club. It took less than 24 hours for Watson to turn her intention into reality. By January 7, Our Shared Shelf was up and running—and less than a month later, it became the largest group on Goodreads with 100,000 members (and counting).

"As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on," Watson wrote on Our Shared Shelf's group page. "There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering!" Her plan is to select one book a month to read and discuss with her fellow book club members. Her first pick was My Life on the Road, journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem's 2015 memoir. This month, the club is reading The Color Purple by novelist and feminist activist Alice Walker.

But Our Shared Shelf is more than just a place to find reading recommendations.

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Emma Watson will take year-long break from acting to focus on feminism

Actress Emma Watson recently announced she is taking a break from acting to read, reach out to help others, and to learn more about herself and issues surrounding feminism and women's rights. One of our favorite things about Watson, after her obvious compassion and curiosity, is her willingness to keep learning and reevaluating her ideas. Getting to come along as someone honestly makes this intellectual journey and talks about it will allow so many others to make similar journeys--and learn more and help one another in the process.

Click through to learn more about Watson's interview for Paper magazine, ideas she's excited about, how she hopes to help others and more in this article from Daily Life.

dailylife.com.au - Emma Watson is taking a year-long hiatus from acting in order to focus on philanthropy and her "own personal development".

The 25 year old made her professional acting debut in the first Harry Potter film in 2001, but now she's ready to step out of the spotlight to focus on other endeavours that aren't related to the entertainment industry.

"I'm taking a year away from acting to focus on two things, really. My own personal development is one," she tells author bell hooks in an interview for Paper magazine.

"My own personal task is to read a book a week, and also to read a book a month as part of my book club. I'm doing a huge amount of reading and study just on my own.

"I almost thought about going and doing a year of gender studies, then I realised that I was learning so much by being on the ground and just speaking with people and doing my reading. That I was learning so much on my own. I actually wanted to keep on the path that I'm on. I'm reading a lot this year, and I want to do a lot of listening."

Read the rest here.