Goodwill Ambassadors for South Asia
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UN Women launches goodwill ambassadors for south asia
Mr. Farhan Akhtar – Actor/Singer/Filmmaker
Farhan Akhtar was announced as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia and the entity’s first male Goodwill Ambassador. Farhan’s appointment coincided with UN Women’s Executive Director’s official visit to India. Farhan, who is not only acclaimed for his work as an actor, filmmaker and singer, has also been a trailblazer in representing the voice of numerous concerned men on the issue of gender equality and violence against women and girls in India, through his Men Against Rape and Discrimination (MARD) initiative. The MARD initiative aims to sensitize men to, and create awareness about the safety of women. During the announcement, Farhan emphasized his intention to combine the efforts of MARD and UN Women HeForShe campaign to make a more gender equal South Asia.
UN Women announced Ms. Sania Mirza, tennis superstar, as Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. The announcement coincided with the International Day to End Violence against Women. Sania is India’s most successful women’s tennis player and the first Indian to break into the World Tennis Association’s Top 50 rankings. She has won several Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Titles and other international tournaments. For her achievements she has been awarded by the Government of India with the honours of Padma Shri and the Arjuna awards. Sania has used the spotlight on her professional success to highlight social issues that are of concern for many Indians, speaking out on issues such as the need to halt the practice of female foeticide and the declining sex ratio in India. She has repeatedly urged a changing of the mindset that discriminates against the girl child and expressed her strong desire to spread the message of gender equality.
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