Emma Watson Sexism in Hollywood Quote

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 29 September 2015

Sometimes, using numbers to point out the obvious makes an argument all the more compelling, said me or my stats teacher. And Emma Watson did just that recently by answering a question about sexism in Hollywood with some straight-up numerical facts.

"I have experienced sexism in that I have been directed by male directors 17 times and only twice by women. Of the producers I've worked with 13 have been male and only one has been a woman," she told The Guardian (opens in new tab).

"But I am lucky: I have always insisted on being treated equally and have generally won that equality," she continued. "Most of the problems I have encountered have been in the media, where I have been treated so incredibly differently from my male co-stars."

"I think my work with the UN has probably made me even more aware of the problems. I went out for a work dinner recently. It was seven men…and me," she said.

So what's the answer to get more women in Hollywood, especially when the stats are so bleak (opens in new tab)? It seems for many women, it's about using your power once you get to the top—Zoe Saldana and Reese Witherspoon have both started production companies, Meryl Streep is producing a screenwriting workshop for women (opens in new tab), and Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence just said "f*ck this" and are writing their next project for themselves (opens in new tab).

Which is to say, I'm here, Emma, whenever you decide to do another project. (Or just want to eat a meal with woman in the mix.)

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Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.