Gemma Chan passionate about girls’ education and rights

British actress Gemma Chan said she was passionate about working for the rights and education of women. The actress said she was inspired by Malala Yousafzai with her social work for girls’ education.

“I’m particularly passionate about girls’ education, and my work with UNICEF reflects that,” said the 38-year-old actress while giving an interview to Elle magazine.

“I get a lot of my hope from the younger generation—some of the most exciting political movements at the moment are being led by young women, whether you’re talking about Greta Thunberg or Malala Yousafzai, and what they’re doing is so inspiring.”

Apart from her acting credentials, Gemma Chan, who rose to fame with her role Astrid Leong-Teo in the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, is a humanitarian activist who champions the cause of women’s education and rights around the world in concert with UNICEF.

She noted, “Young women are often underestimated, so I feel very passionate about supporting them and helping [ensure that] their voices are heard. I think that that’s what gives me hope—that the next generation is so clued up. They really are so passionate—we should be listening to them, actually.”

Gemma Chan makes no bone about making her beliefs known while feeling no fear to use her platform to give a voice to those who often aren’t heard. She said, “I know that anytime I post something political, I lose followers or get a negative response, but I do think it’s important to speak about things that you are passionate about—and to pick your battles.”

“I don’t want to get drawn into a never-ending Twitter fight, because there are only so many hours in the day.”