Lady Gaga to Angelina Jolie: Top celebrities fighting for women’s rights

Hollywood is not all about red carpets, glamour, and box office hits, it has much more in it.

Lady gaga, Emma Watson, Angelina Jolie and many other iconic stars have used their platforms to address women’s rights and fight for gender equality.

Here are some of the top celebrities who are outspoken feminists and role models for generations of women.

1. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has been a proud feminist since the beginning of her career. She usually combined her music, fashion, and activism to strengthen women’s voices.

Being a fighter against sexual assault, she has consistently spoken about consent and empowerment.

At ELLE Women in Hollywood Celebration, she said, "We women in Hollywood, we are voices. We have deep thoughts and ideas and beliefs and values about the world and we have the power to speak and be heard and fight back when we are silenced."

On her idea of feminism, she told SHOWstudio, "I am a feminist. I reject wholeheartedly the way we are taught to perceive women. The beauty of women, how a woman should act or behave. Women are strong and fragile. Women are beautiful and ugly. We are soft-spoken and loud, all at once."

2. Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway, well known for her role in Princess Mia in The Princess Diaries, has used her fame to address social issues and advocate for women.

She was seen confronting unpleasant interview questions about her weight to reflecting on her own biases toward women directors, Hathaway emphasizes the importance of growth and awareness.

Back in 2022 the actress also spoke about the global gender pay gap at the Business 20 Summit. She told the addressed the audience, "Progress for women and girls is in dramatic reverse in many countries. Rights and freedoms that women and girls had experienced as normal, to work, to learn, to make choices about their bodies, have been abruptly taken away."

3. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Beyoncé has always been very vocal about the feminist ideals. She gave the Destiny’s Child, hits like Independent Women and Survivor which celebrated women’s resilience and self-belief.

Her 2011 anthem, Run The World (Girls), captures the essence of female empowerment,

"We're smart enough to make these millions, strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business."

Formation hit maker also amplified the feminist message further in Flawless, quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, "Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes."

Beyoncé also actively supports women behind the scenes, she has employed female musicians and collaborators, and always used her influence to uplift other women in the industry.

4. Emma Watson

Emma Watson’s journey as an advocate for women rights and feminism began with her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.

However, she truly made a mark in 2014 with the launch of the HeForShe campaign at the UN.

In one of her speeches, she described a common misconception about feminism, saying, "The more I have spoken about feminism, the more I have realised that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop."

She further explained feminism as a matter of choice in ELLE UK, where she said,

"Feminism is not here to dictate to you. It's not prescriptive, it's not dogmatic. All we are here to do is give you a choice."

5. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie’s activism has a huge mark her Hollywood stardom. As a UNHCR Special Envoy, she focuses on the struggles of women in conflict zones.

The iconic star also earned the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2013.

On International Women’s Day 2020, Jolie wrote for TIME, "Little girls’ softness, their openness and instinct to nurture and help others, must be appreciated and not abuse."

She further emphasized, “Hold your nerve. Know your rights. And never let anyone tell you that you are not precious and special and, above all, equal."

Back in 2020, the actress brought forward the pandemic’s effect on gender-based violence, saying, "Conflict-related sexual violence is a manifestation of this reality.”

“Governments and politicians seem to believe in rights for women and girls only to a point where it doesn’t affect business, trade, or compete with political interests," she added.
These Hollywood stars and more importantly strong women show us that feminism is not just a hashtag or a speech, it’s about everyday choices, courage, and standing up for what’s right.