We first came across Emma Watson as a fresh-faced, bushy- haired Hermione Granger in the beloved Harry Potter films.

From that moment on, she became my childhood idol.

I bought her merchandise, pored over pictures of her in gossip magazines and knew the films so well that I could rehearse Hermione’s lines off by heart.

Even after my Harry Potter obsession had ended, my adoration for the actress grew further – her modelling for Burberry, her leading roles in critically-acclaimed independent films and her graduation from Brown University this year.

I didn’t think I could be much more of a fan of the actress, yet after watching her speech at the UN, it seems that I can.

In her new position as UN Goodwill Ambassador, Emma has launched the HeForShe campaign, which aims to promote equality between the sexes, yet strives to engage males in the concept rather than blame or oppress them.

Feminism has always unfairly been given a bad name – so Emma is the perfect person to engage young people, like me, in the struggle to gain equality.

The backing of this new initiative has been huge, with celebrities such as Simon Pegg, Neil Gaiman and Joseph Gorden-Levitt immediately tweeting support after Emma’s speech.

Again and again we hear saddening stories of youthful starlets going ‘off the rails’ in the tabloids, so it is refreshing to see a young, successful woman at the forefront of such an important issue.

From the recent violation of famous women through the medium of leaked nude photos across the internet we are reminded of the vital importance feminism still has today – and I believe that Emma Watson is the perfect person to prompt us into action.