Emma Watson has spoken of her determination to continue campaigning to feminist issues despite having been labelled as a ‘feminazi’ by critics, saying that such abuse doesn’t bother her in the slightest.

The 25 year old actor and campaigner, who recently announced that she was taking a year’s sabbatical from her film and stage career in order to educate herself more about feminism and gender issues, said in a new interview that she was unmoved by the ‘feminazi’ insults.

Emma WatsonEmma Watson says being called a 'feminazi' doesn't bother her

“We are not supposed to talk about money, because people will think you’re ‘difficult’ or a ‘diva’,” she told People. “But there’s a willingness now to be like, ‘Fine. Call me a ‘diva’, call me a ‘feminazi’, call me ‘difficult’, call me a ‘First World feminist’, call me whatever you want, it’s not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing and make sure that the right thing happens.’ Because it doesn’t just affect me.”

Last year, former Harry Potter star Watson set up the gender equality organisation HeForShe, saying that the campaign behind it was aimed at getting people to think in a more personal way about how such inequality might affect their loved ones.

More: Emma Watson to take a year off from acting to focus on feminism

“There’s no point in me going, ‘You all have to go away from having read this article and decide that you are a feminist.’ That’s useless,” she said. “The only thing that is going to make a difference is if men go away and speak to the women in their lives about what they are experiencing.”

The UN Women goodwill ambassador said that the backlash she received for getting behind Jennifer Lawrence and her essay last summer about the Hollywood pay gap didn’t bother her, and the issue went far beyond the movie industry.

“Whether you are a woman on a tea plantation in Kenya, or a stockbroker on Wall Street, or a Hollywood actress, no one is being paid equally… I’ve had my arse slapped as I’ve left a room. I’ve felt scared walking home. I’ve had people following me. I don’t talk about these experiences much, because coming from me they’ll sound like a huge deal and I don’t want this to be about me, but most women I know have experienced it and worse.”

Before she takes her break, Watson will appear in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast as well alongside Star Wars actor John Boyega in The Circle.

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