“Feminism has become synonymous with man-hating,” says Emma Watson in her speech to the U.N. Council, promoting the new campaign HeForShe, “and that has to stop.”

Our former Harry Potter star (and now Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women) points to a painstaking truth. As gender equality becomes more and more recognized throughout the world in all its respects, so has the connotation that all feminists are bitter diehards who consider men their lesser counterparts. That stand is not only narrow-minded, but completely against what women’s rights is for.

It all goes back to equality. Equality for men and women, the two halves of nature. Countless times has history proven each gender’s importance in the formation of history as we know it. And though this has become more recognized in more developed countries, we are amongst a very rare and lucky few.

It is down in the deserts, sunken in the rubble streets of religiously torn cities, suppressed under the cruel beliefs that they are second class citizens. Girls younger than our little sisters are being sold into sex trafficking, struggling single mothers forced to work several jobs because one refuses to pay her enough. Around the world, these voices of these girls and women are being silenced because they were not born as men.

Just a week ago, I had the chance to attend and participate in a convention celebrating the empowerment of women, International Day of the Girl. It was held at my school and sponsored by local group Leading and Inspiring Female Empowerment (LIFE), something I am genuinely privileged to be a part of. Founded primarily by Mrs. Schatz, an 8th grade teacher, and now in its second year of running, the group focuses on raising awareness about female inequality around the world and creating change in the community and beyond.

In short, the day was incredible. There were three breakout sessions led by different groups (including LIFE), and beautiful live music by Elizabeth Carol K. Keynote speaker Jillie Johnston (founder of Love Letters to Yourself) began and ended the day.

“Today is the day we celebrate every girl and woman. We celebrate ourselves, our friends, and the girls over the world who, for not a single day in their life, are celebrated because they were born a girl.” Johnston takes a breath. “But we also come here to celebrate the boys. To them, these prejudices and injustices they learn to be right are taught to them, and we forget that."

Women and men are needed in the fight to end gender inequality: beyond our differing races, our religions, and regions of homeland. And in doing so, this cannot be a one-ended tug-of-war. This cannot happen without both halves of a species, the rise to action of both equivalents.

So it suffices to say I am a feminist, not a man-hater—I believe in the human mind with the eyes of its female and male beholders. And I’m willing to bet I’m not alone.