Emma Watson: I've finally made sense of fame

Emma Watson says feminism has helped her "channel" her fame into something positive.

The 24-year-old actress made waves with her inspiring speech about gender equality at the UN Summit last month and subsequently launched the HeForShe campaign, which encourages men to join the fight.

Using stardom to get her voice heard has been an encouraging experience for Emma.

"Fame is not something I have always felt comfortable with; I have really grappled with it emotionally," the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador admitted to the British edition of Elle magazine.

"And, in a funny way, doing this is my way of making sense of the fame, of using it. I have found a way to channel it towards something else, which makes it so much more manageable for me. And this is something I really believe in."

A video of Emma's amazing speech was immediately made public on the internet and fans and A-listers took to Twitter in hordes to congratulate her bravery. The star admits it was a daunting experience.

"I was very nervous," she recalled. "It wasn’t an easy thing for me to do. It felt like: 'Am I going to have lunch with these people, or am I going to be eaten' Am I the lunch'"

Emma emphasises she isn't trying to force anyone into anything and that her campaign is merely about providing options to females. She has her upbringing to thank for growing into such a bold and brave woman.

"Feminism is not here to dictate to you. It’s not prescriptive, it’s not dogmatic. All we are here to do is give you a choice. If you want to run for President, you can. If you don’t, that’s wonderful, too," she assured people.

"I’m lucky I was raised to believe that my opinion at the dinner table was valuable. My mom and I spoke as loudly as my brothers."