Cast member Emma Watson attends the U.S. premiere of "Noah" in New York March 26, 2014.
Cast member Emma Watson attends the U.S. premiere of "Noah" in New York March 26, 2014. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Emma Watson's powerful speech at the US Summit gave her the ticket to become the cover-girl of Elle's first ever issue on feminism. She has said that she was nervous before she gave the speech on feminism and even wondered if she'll be ostracised.

"I was very nervous," she told Elle UK. "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?'" Interestingly, no one could tell she was nervous. Emma Watson looked serious and determined. She said that males can be feminists too. Her "Hermione Granger" persona just might have worked that day.

In the same interview, she explained again what feminism is all about. She feels that many still do not understand the concept of feminism -- both males and females. "Feminism is not here to dictate to you," she told Elle UK. "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. I'm lucky I was raised to believe that my opinion at the dinner table was valuable. My mum and I spoke as loudly as my brothers."

She was not "eaten alive," as she feared, but she was highly praised by everyone. The speech also probably changed a lot of people's thinking. Taylor Swift, for one, showed her appreciation. In an interview with French-Canadian talk show Tout Le Monde En Parle, Time reports that Swift was all praises for the speech and the #HeforShe campaign Emma was promoting. For her, it was 'monumental' because Watson's words may inspire young girls and help them understand feminism. The singer said that she wished she had heard such a speech when she was 12. At 12, if she had heard her favourite actress explain feminish in such an "intellectual, poignant and beautiful way," she would have claimed that she was a feminist.

Emma Watson's own body of work can inspire many females. She's a great actress, she just graduated college, and she's also the UN Goodwill Ambassador. She's a feminist through and through. Ever since she asked men to be feminists too, one cannot dissociate the "Harry Potter" actress from the movement anymore.