A new survey has found that almost a third of young women identify primarily as 'feminist' .
Which is great news, obviously. And the statistic is said to be thanks to gender equality campaigner Emma Watson, who has just been selected as the 'most inspiring celebrity' out of a list of 43 A-listerers including Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Zayn Malik.
The study of 1,000 teenagers conducted by ICM for the National Citizen Service found that 'feminist' is now the most popular description for women (29 per cent), more so than 'bookworm' (19 per cent) or 'sporty' (10 per cent).
Many volunteers who took part in the survey revealed the Harry Potter actress was one of their most influential role models when it came to feminism, telling researchers they admired her for 'using her fame' to champion gender equality.
One respondent admitted: 'She uses the power and fame she gained from the Harry Potter series to speak about important issues like feminism.'
Another replied: 'She's a big feminist. She frequently speaks out on sexism and other discrimination issues such as racism and homophobia, and what she says really inspires me.'
NCS marketing director Natasha Kizzie said in a press release: 'The rise of internet feminism and increasingly politically engaged youth has brought these issues to the forefront of the news agenda, and the "Emma Watson effect": has done brilliant things for the cause.
MORE: WILL THE X FACTOR MAKE IT TO SERIES 20?
'She inspires young people to never limit their expectations of what they can achieve on the basis on their gender. I am heartened by our findings, and I hope this increasing empowerment of young people continues,' she added.
The 27-year-old actress has spent several year working with the HeForShe campaign - a solidarity initiative started by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
She has also spoken tirelessly about the role of women in society, championing her Disney character Belle in Beauty and the Beast as an independent feminist in a somewhat regressive fairytale.
Earlier this year, she even received Gloria Steinem's seal of approval for the famous fictional role, and participated in the Women's March on Washington.
We can see why so many people find the Harry Potter star an inspiration. Congrats, Emma!
(Images: Getty)
Like this? Subscribe to the Good Housekeeping newsletter.
