Almost 200 British and Irish women involved in the film industry have signed an open letter to support the UK Justice Equality Fund.

The Beauty and the Beast star has become one of the first donors to the new fund and has co-signed a powerful letter which calls for an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.

Among the 190 stars to also sign the letter are Emma Thompson, Carey Mulligan, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Chan, Keira Knightley and of course Watson herself. 160 academics, activists and charity workers have added their name too.

The letter was released to coincide with tonight’s BAFTAs and says the awards should “celebrate this tremendous moment of solidarity and unity across borders by coming together and making this movement international”.

“This movement is bigger than just a change in our industry alone,” it continues. “In the very near past, we lived in a world where sexual harassment was an uncomfortable joke; an unavoidable awkward part of being a girl or a woman.”

“If you have said ‘time’s up’, if the stories you have read in the papers have resonated and distressed you – join us in shifting the dial. Let’s make 2018 the year that time was up on sexual harassment and abuse. This is your moment too.”

Many women attending tonight’s awards have indicated they will wear black in solidarity with the Hollywood based Time’s Up movement.

The BAFTA Awards are on BBC1 tonight at 9.00pm.

Via: Independent