There’s something about the word feminism that strikes fear and repulsion into the hearts of many who hear it. Go ahead and tell someone you are a feminist. I’m willing to bet they will give you an odd look and ask, “Why?” They might laugh and shake their heads at you. But why does that word bring up so many negative feelings? We’re taught that being a feminist is ugly and hostile. But on Sept. 21, Emma Watson sought to challenge that belief during her speech at the United Nations.

During her speech, the 24-year-old actress invited men to help end gender inequality in a unique campaign called HeForShe. In less than 15 minutes, she shut down the stereotype that feminism is about man-hating and pointed out how men are also negatively affected by gender stereotypes, even if we don’t talk about it often. She began by saying, “Feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” Watson explained that while growing up she, like many young girls, was often called bossy while boys were applauded for their leadership qualities. As she grew up she noticed that her male friends were unable to express their feelings because it was not the “manly” thing to do. It’s time to speak out against these forced roles men and women are expected to fit into.

However, feminism is often misunderstood as a movement against men, but it is far from that. We don’t want women to replace them; we just want them to have the same chances men have. Feminists also push for male stereotypes to be broken as well because we want equality for both genders. This misunderstanding of what feminism is all about is causing many people to turn away from labeling themselves a feminist.

A famous example of this is the actress Shailene Woodley. In an interview with Time Magazine, she said she would not use that label because, “I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance. … And also I think that if men went down and women rose to power, that wouldn’t work either. We have to have a fine balance.” The idea that feminists want to take men down is not only incorrect, but it’s dangerous and should be dismissed immediately.

Watson invited men to join in on the fight for equality because, as she says, it is their issue as well. She said, “I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society, despite my need of his presence as a child, as much as my mother’s.” Women are not the only ones affected by gender inequality and stereotypes about how we should act. She believes that in breaking these stereotypes, we can abolish the us vs. them mentality and finally work together to get what we all want — respect, freedom and equality. At the end of her speech, Watson argues, “and if you still hate the word, it is not the word that is important. It’s the idea and the ambition behind it.” So forget the negative feeling you may get when you hear feminist. Think instead about equality and freedom — two words that are certainly hopeful.