Male Celebrities Who Call Themselves Feminists

Gender inequality is as much of a problem for women as it is for men. Sadly, men don't embrace the term 'feminist' as much as women, but these male celebrities are using their voice to change that.

If you ask me, there's nothing sexier than a man who calls himself a feminist and fights for womens' rights. Hopefully with more and more male celebrities talking about gender equality, men will become more open to the idea of feminism.

 

Here are 10 awesome men who are proud to call themselves feminists:

Will Smith

When questioned about why he let his 13 year old daughter, Willow, cut her own hair, he responded "When you have a little girl, it's like how can you teach her that you’re in control of her body? If I teach her that I'm in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she's going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can't cut my hair but that's her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she's going out with a command that is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives."

Will also made the perfect statement about boys who tease girls about their looks:

“Boys laugh at what they put girls through, but they won’t be laughing when they are wiping tears off their daughters face for the same reason,” said Smith. 

 

Ashton Kutcher

 

In 2009, Ashton Kutcher co-founded 'Thorn : Digital Defenders of Children' with former wife Demi Moore. The software is used to fight human trafficking and it helped to save 6,000 victims of trafficking in 6 months, 2,000 of which were children.

Trafficking affects 800,000 people a year of which 80% are female. Ashton's software is helping to reduce and prevent sexual violence against these people, especially women.

 

Antonio Banderas

 

Antonio is the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme. A few years ago, he released a global video to end violence against women on International Women's Day.

 

Forest Whitaker

Actor and supporter of #HeForShe, Forest founded the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, which focuses on achieving world peace through equality of the sexes and other factors.

He said '“You can’t really find peace in the world when fifty percent of the world is excluded from the conversation.”

 

Jon Hamm

Even though Jon plays a womaniser in the TV show 'Mad Man', when he's off-screen he is fighting to end sexual assault and the objectification of women in advertising.

Jon spoke at the Rape Treatment Centre in LA, educating boy and men about the impact of gender-based violence. At the event he said:

“It is an important thing to instill in a younger generation about the impact of rape, the lasting impact of rape. Children from grade school to high school to college are incredibly susceptible and incredibly malleable, as we all know. To get them early, to teach them about the facts and figures and other realities of rape is key. It is an important issue to me as not only a man, but as an educator, as a human being and as a person on this planet."

 

Matt Damon

Matt is yet another man who wasn't quite comfortable calling himself a feminist. After hearing the definition of a feminist which was explained to him during an interview with Stylist, he said “Alright, then I am one.” 

 

Ian Somerhalder

Somerhalder participated in the "Real Man" campaign run by the grassroots organization Women's Aid UK to help end domestic and sexual violence against women. He said:

"I wanted to take part in this campaign because it's so easy to forget the many women who live their lives in fear because of domestic violence. Men have an important role to play in sending out the message that real men do not hurt or abuse their partners."

 

Barack Obama

Obama has made it loud and clear that he's a feminist and we love him for that! He was featured in Glamour about feminism and and what it means to him.

 

"Michelle and I have raised our daughters to speak up when they see a double standard or feel unfairly judged based on their gender or race—or when they notice that happening to someone else. It's important for them to see role models out in the world who climb to the highest levels of whatever field they choose. And yes, it's important that their dad is a feminist, because now that's what they expect of all men."

 

Mark Ruffalo

Ruffalo's responded to public figure's who said that they weren't feminists:

"You're insulting every woman who was forcibly restrained in a jail cell with a feeding tube down her throat for your right to vote, less than 100 years ago."

In 2013, he also wrote a letter in support of reproductive rights as his mother experienced an illegal abortion. He wrote to the supporters:

"I invite you to find your voice and let it be known that you stand for abortion rights and the dignity of a woman to be the master of her own life and body. I invite you to search your soul and ask yourself if you actually stand for what you say you stand for. Thank you for being here today and thank you for standing up for the women in my life."

 

Daniel Craig

For International Women's Day in 2011, the 'James Bond' star featured in a short video dressed as a women, with a voice-over by Judi-Dench saying:

"Women are responsible for two thirds of the work done worldwide, yet earn only 10 percent of the total income and own 1 percent of the property... So, are we equals? Until the answer is yes, we must never stop asking.”