The UN Women has announced that actor-playwright Danai Gurira will be their new Goodwill Ambassador. This will take effect during the global annual advocacy campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December).
The Zimbabwean-born talent will lend her name to highlight gender equality and women’s rights, as well as bringing unheard women’s voices front and centre.
“UN Women is delighted to welcome Danai Gurira in her new role as Goodwill Ambassador to support our work on gender equality,” said Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
“As an author, playwright, actor and activist in pursuit of women’s empowerment and gender equality with her sharp human rights lens, she is uniquely qualified to communicate and inspire. She recognises the challenges of intersectionality and will connect with the diversity of women living on the margins of society.”
“I am honoured to join the UN Women family today,” said Gurira. “My passion for women and girls has been my focus in the narratives I create as well as the roles I have been able to play. I have always sought to push the boundaries and tell the stories of those who are often marginalised and unheard.
“My own advocacy for women and girls has made me deeply aware of UN Women, I have experienced the work of this organization on the ground as well as internationally, and I am delighted to partner with them to amplify many more stories from around the world, and give a voice to those who are working relentlessly to make gender equality a reality.”
“We are at an urgent time, a time where our participation is crucial to ensure that all women and girls, no matter where they live, where they grow up or where they work, are in a world where their potential can be fully actualised; a world of true equality,” she added.
Gurira is best known for her role in Black Panther and in the hit AMC show The Walking Dead. Throughout her career, she has played characters who are diverse, and is a critically acclaimed award-winning writer who works to bring the voices of unheard women, often survivors of violence, to the front and centre.
We say a big Congratulations
