Emma Watson cheered the possibility of the US electing its first female president. Edgar Ramirez questioned a “macho” world that teaches boys to suppress emotions and dominate women.
The actors roused up a glitzy and high-powered crowd at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on Tuesday night to promote the UN Women’s HeForShe initiative to draw men into the fight for global gender equality.
The organization released a report detailing progress made by 10 universities around the world that have committed to redressing gender inequality in their institutions. It is part of a wider project convening 10 heads of state, 10 global corporate CEOs and 10 university presidents to take concrete action for gender parity.
Watson, the UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, drew whoops and cheers when she referenced the possibility of Hillary Clinton winning the US presidential elections.
“I don’t know if I would have believed you if you had told me two years ago before I made my HeforShe speech that we might have the first female president of the United States,” said Watson, best known for her “Harry Potter” character Hermione Granger, the plucky bookworm whose wits frequently saved the day.
Ramirez, a Venezuelan actor who starred in “The Liberator” and “Joy,” gave an impassioned indictment of a world where “male adolescents are taught to be dominant, tough and disrespect women.” He said teaching boys to suppress their emotions creates taboos around male mental health, leads to depression and even violence.

Source: Arab News