Emma Watson wins ‘Observer’ Ethical Award 2015

Jul 02, 2015

Posted by: Emma Pocock

Honors/Awards, HP Cast, Watson

Emma Watson’s passionate leading of the United Nations HeForShe campaign for gender equality has won her not only a place on the Time 100 list of Most Influential People, but also led to her being named Observer Campaigner of the Year, under the 2015 Ethical Awards.

The awards have been running for around ten years, and are based around celebrations of environmental and social justice. Emma has been named among many others as an avid advocator of equality. Not only has she proven her dedication to this cause in the HeForShe campaign, but has repeatedly shown her passion for equality and making a difference. Alice Fisher at the Guardian writes:

‘HeforShe may be her most high-profile campaign, but it’s not Watson’s first. Alongside the acting career she started at 11 and her studies at Oxford and Brown University in the US, Watson is a long-standing advocate of schooling for girls. She’s been an ambassador for Camfed International, which fights to educate girls in rural Africa, since 2012. Most recently, on behalf of the UN she’s been in Uruguay campaigning for women’s political participation (currently only 13% of Uruguay’s parliament are women, whereas the world average is 28%).

UN Women executive director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka thinks Watson is a strong voice for young people worldwide. “Her commitment to the issues that we work on at UN Women multiplies our ability to reach and engage more young people – who are key to advancing gender equality.” She’s absolutely right, but somehow that misses the unique quality Watson brings to all her work: a quiet determination to succeed and an enquiring mind coupled with the ability to be enthusiastic, open and vulnerable. When explaining a campaign message to the public, that’s a combination that’s better than magic.’

Among a diverse array of advocators of a more equal and ‘green’ world, Emma’s newest title shows that she is growing to be – as Mlambo-Ngcuka and Fisher note – a strong, determined, enthusiastic voice for thousands of people and women worldwide. Her work on the HeForShe campaign is more than worthy of this award.

Join us in congratulating Emma on her latest achievement!





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.