Before the age of Twitter, I had no idea how many celebrities who support women's rights were out there. More to the point, I had no idea how many male celebrities who support women's rights there are out there. That seems incredibly ignorant of me now, but it was delightful making this discovery all the same. While some of these people have surprised me, others seem incredibly obvious.
1 Patrick Stewart
Out of all of the celebrities who support women's rights, Patrick Stewart is the latest one for me. Giving him his proper title, Sir Patrick Stewart, this lovely man has starred in Star Trek, X-Men, and American Dad. I have seen absolutely none of these. I have, however, seen him deliver passionate speeches about the abuse he saw his mother undergo while he was a kid. Today he works alongside agencies like Amnesty International to prevent this from happening to others.
Frequently asked questions
2 Angelina Jolie
Love her or hate her for the whole Brad Pitt thing, Angelina Jolie kicks some serious ass on the world's international platform when it comes to women's rights. Her campaigning takes her to some of the grittiest causes around the world. From sex trafficking in Eastern Europe, to war crimes in East Africa, there's not a lot she hasn't spoken out against. Not so long ago, she made a documentary called "Inhuman Traffic" with MTV. This harrowing film explored the trafficking of women and girls in Eastern Europe, revealing a side to the continent many aren't aware of.
3 Rob Delaney
When Rob Delaney appeared on my "Who to follow" list on Twitter with his incredibly hairy chest and neon green Speedoes, I was a little perplexed. Fastforward a year, and not only have I seen some of the funniest tweets in the world, I have also seen some pretty disturbing photos. When I read that he'd said "Women and men are just savaged by ads and media", my inner feminist did a little cartwheel of thanks. Weirdly, a man with an amazing mustache and neon green Speedoes on his profile picture talking about body image was making me feel better about my own. He also discusses sexuality in a really hilarious way, but it somehow makes a lot of sense.
4 Lily Allen
Even though I am British, I wasn't that struck on Lily Allen's overly Londonish tones when her first single hit the airwaves. Now I am addicted to her voice. Literally. She's been on a mini hiatus since 2009, only to cover Keane's "Somewhere Only we Know" for a Christmas ad. Then, early in November, she announced the release of her new single "Hard Out Here". Not only does it mock the treatment of women in the music industry, it turns Robin Thicke's bubble writing on its head. Confused? Watch the video, you'll see what I am talking about.
5 Natalie Portman
I feel like Natalie Portman's take on women's rights just gets me. She once said "I want every version of a woman and man" to be possible. This meaning, whether you stay at home, work, cartwheel around your neighborhood on a 24/7 basis, you are doing so because you haven't been spooned into a gender role. Even better, she wants people to do what they want sexually without being called names. So down with the slurs, and yay for Natalie Portman's take on life!
6 John Legend
He gave us great music, he has a lovely smile, and he thinks everyone should support women's rights. Quite rightly, he believes the world would be a better place if everyone supported women's rights. And guess where this all stems from? His mother! Behind this amazing man is a strong mom, who clearly raised her son the right way.
7 Malala Yousafazi
I am at pains to call Malala Yousafazi a celebrity, because she doesn't really represent what most of us would see as a celeb. However, since quite literally standing up to the Taliban, she has become a celebrity of sorts. After being shot for daring to attend school, Malala's life was on the line. Since then, she has settled in Britain and has campaigned tirelessly for access to education for all girls. She's won awards, addressed UN delegates, and written books. All of these started when she was just a tween. She's one brave little lady, and probably my ultimate women's rights campaigner.
All of these individuals don't just campaign for causes that benefit women. Take Malala, for example, whose focus is for kids to get better education access in general. Then there's Patrick Stewart, whose approach to healthy relationships will protect children. If you have a favorite celebrity who supports women's rights, who is it and why?
