Emma Watson said Tuesday she wants people to understand the importance of gender equality not only on a rational level but also on a visceral one, and books, movies, and other art forms are important vehicles for accomplishing that. ‘‘It’s also about making them feel it in their bones,’’ said Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the ‘‘Harry Potter’’ film series and is a Brown University graduate. Watson, the UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, and Forest Whitaker, a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace, joined UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on International Women’s Day at The Public Theater in Manhattan. They were there to announce a week of arts events aimed at initiating a dialogue about gender equality.