Kareena Kapoor as National Ambassador for UNICEF Every Child Campaign

UNICEF India has appointed famous Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan as its National Ambassador for its # For Every Child campaign in the country. As a national ambassador, Kareena Kapoor will support the UNICEF India campaign to further every child’s right to early childhood development, health, education, and gender equality.

Kareena Kapoor's association with UNICEF

Kareena Kapoor was appointed UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate in 2014. She participated in the UNICEF campaign to promote girls' education, gender equality, foundational learning, immunisation, and breastfeeding. She was also very active during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was a vocal advocate for children’s learning and return to school once schools reopened.

UNICEF India’s Youth Advocates 

UNICEF India also appointed the first-ever Youth Advocates. The four appointed Youth Advocates are of the 16-24 years age group, and they are advocates and champions of issues like climate change, mental health, innovation and Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). 

The four UNICEF Youth Advocated for India are:

• Gauranshi Sharma from Madhya Pradesh has been appointed a youth advocate for the child’s right to play and disability inclusion.
• Uttar Pradesh’s Kartik Verma will be a youth advocate for issues related to  climate action and child rights advocacy, 
• Assam’s Nahid Afrin on mental health and early childhood development and 
• Tamil Nadu’s Vinisha Umashankar is a youth advocate for innovation and a STEM pioneer.

All four Indians are part of 93 youth advocates appointed by UNICEF across the globe. 

Role of the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Celebrity Advocates 

UNICEF appoints Goodwill Ambassadors and Celebrity Advocates to increase public awareness of the rights of children and women and UNICEF's work in protecting those rights.  They help in positively influence government policies on children. Goodwill ambassadors and celebrities help UNICEF raise funds and publicise children's issues around the globe.  Only those celebrities are appointed as UNICEF ambassadors/celebrity advocates who have already demonstrated their commitment to children’s right to health, education, equality and protection.  

The Goodwill Ambassadors are for the global level, the Regional ambassadors are for a region-specific area, and the National ambassadors are for a specific country.

Indian Ambassador of UNICEF 

• Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan was the first Indian to be appointed as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2005. He is currently associated with the UNICEF polio eradication program.
• Film actress Priyanka Chopra was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF in 2016.
• Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was appointed as the Regional Ambassador by UNICEF IN 2013.
• Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit was appointed UNICEF Celebrity Advocate for child rights in India in 2014.
• Noted athlete Hima Das was appointed as the UNICEF Youth Ambassador in 2018. She is the first-ever Indian UNICEF Youth Ambassador.

UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund)

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946 to help children and young people.

In 1953, UNICEF was made the permanent body of the United Nations, and its name was changed to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Headquarters: New York, the United States of America.