10 Guys Whose Thoughts on Women's Rights Make Them Even Sexier

A conversation about his movie No Strings Attached in 2011 inspired Ashton to share his thoughts on why Hollywood needs to empower women in movies:

"The male orgasm is actually right there and readily available to learn about because it's actually part of the reproductive cycle, but the female orgasm isn't really talked about in the education system. Part of that creates a place where women aren't empowered around their own sexuality and their own sexual selves, and from a purely entertainment point of view, to create a movie with a female lead that's empowered with her own sexuality is a powerful thing. And if we can give teenage people something to think about from a sex perspective, I would say it would be to open a conversation where women are empowered with their own sexual experiences from an educational level as well as an entertainment level."

In 2012, Will told Parade magazine about the importance of empowering girls, specifically his and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter, Willow:

"We let Willow cut her hair. 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."

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has identified himself as a feminist on multiple occasions. This month, he released a video on the topic and told The Daily Beast why he disagrees with modern-day arguments against feminism:

"There are some people who say we don't need feminism anymore because women and men are now treated equally, and I don't think that's true. We've come a long way since the term was coined and women weren't allowed to vote or own property in this country, but that doesn't mean it's a simple black-and-white issue. There's a lot to talk about, and it's a more nuanced conversation now than it was then, and that's all the more reason for us to be having these conversations. There are still plenty of tensions and unfair situations that arise more so for women than for men."

After Ryan's 2010 film Blue Valentine received an NC-17 rating due to a scene portraying a woman receiving oral sex, the actor released a statement suggesting the MPAA made a sexist judgment call:

"You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is OK supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex. It's misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman's sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film."

In an interview with Elle magazine in 2012, Seth supported a woman's right to choose:

"When you work with the sort of really strong women that I work with, the idea that anyone would want to make decisions for them is hard to wrap your head around."

During a press conference for Chime For Change in 2013, John explained why men should support the charity and women's rights:

"All men should be feminists. If men care about women's rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered, it leads to a better society."

Mark is no stranger to making political statements, and in 2013, he got candid about his mother's abortion in a letter he wrote for a reproductive rights rally:

"I am a man. I could say this has nothing to do with me. Except I have two daughters and I have a mother who was forced to illegally have an abortion in her state where abortion was illegal when she was a very young woman. It cost $600 cash. It was a traumatizing thing for her. It was shameful and sleazy and demeaning. When I heard the story I was aghast by the lowliness of a society that would make a woman do that. I could not understand its lack of humanity; today is no different."

This year, Daniel told Stylist magazine why he considers himself a feminist:

"Well, I think I'm a feminist, just by the virtue of the fact that I believe in equal rights for everyone."

In 2011, Jon told the Daily Mail he doesn't agree with the way women were treated in the era brought back to life in his hit show, Mad Men:

"Men ruled the roost and women played a subservient role [in the 1960s]. Working wives were a rarity, because their place was in the home, bringing up the kids. The women who did work were treated as second class citizens, because it was a male-dominated society. That was a fact of life then. But it wouldn't be tolerated today, and that's quite right in my book . . . People look back on those days through a thick veil of nostalgia, but life was hard if you were anything other than a rich, powerful, white male."

In a video he filmed for the 2013 Chime For Change concert headlined by Beyoncé, the royal explained how men should treat women:

"When women are empowered, they immeasurably improve the lives of everyone around them — their families, their communities, and their countries. This is not just about women, we men need to recognize the part we play too. Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve."