Ayushmann Khurrana

The National Award-winning film star joins hands with UNICEF to support ensuring rights of every child to survive, thrive, be protected as well as promoting their voice and agency in decisions that concern them.

UNICEF
Mr. Ayushmann Khurrana (C), displays a folder containing the documents to formalise his appointment as UNICEF India National Ambassador with Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey (L) , UNICEF India Representative, and  Mr. Yasumasa Kimura (R), Deputy Representative, Programme, UNICEF India at the signing ceremony as Ayushmann Khurrana is conferred as UNICEF India national ambassador at UNICEF India  office on Saturday, 18 February 2023,Delhi,India.
UNICEF/UN0738484/Mukherjee

Ayushmann Khurrana

Celebrated - Bollywood star, Ayushmann Khurrana is a popular Hindi film actor known for his versatility and passion for acting in films for a social cause.  At 37, he has played several roles of ordinary men in India battling societal prejudices that have brought him several awards, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards. Over the last decade,  The actor is on 2020's list of Time's 100 most influential people.

UNICEF India appointed of Ayushmann Khurrana as a National Ambassador on 18th February 2023. The National award-winning film star joins hands with UNICEF to support ensuring the rights of every child to survive, thrive, and be protected, as well as promoting their voice and agency in decisions that concern them.

Speaking at the conferment, Ayushmann Khurrana said,” It is truly an honour to further my advocacy for children’s rights with UNICEF India as a National Ambassador. I am passionate about the issues facing children and adolescents in India. As UNICEF’s Celebrity Advocate, I have interacted with children and spoken on internet safety, cyberbullying, mental health, and gender equality. In this new role with UNICEF, I will keep up a strong voice for children’s rights, especially for the most vulnerable, supporting solutions for issues that impact them the most.”

Welcoming Ayushmann Khurrana as the National Ambassador for children’s rights, Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, said, “I am delighted to welcome Ayushmann Khurrana as UNICEF India’s National Ambassador. Ayushmann’s strong commitment over the last two years as UNICEF’s Celebrity Advocate has helped amplify and drive the work of protecting the rights of children.  He is one of India’s biggest movie stars, and we are thrilled that he is using that powerful voice to stand with children and challenge harmful social norms and gender stereotypes. And it is a voice that resonates with UNICEF’s work and ethos in its sensitivity and passion. We look forward to working with him on the most critical child rights issues of our time – ending violence, mental well-being, and gender equality– and towards a better future for every child.”

UNICEF

UNICEF Celebrity Advocate since September 2020

Ayushmann was appointed UNICEF India's Celebrity Advocate in September 2020 to advocate for ending violence against children and the broader child rights agenda. His active participation in World Children’s Day, adding his voice and influence on International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child, World Day Against Child Labour and Safer Internet Day raised the profile of children’s causes and received wide public attention.

Most recently, he focused attention on inclusion and non-discrimination through gender-inclusive sports on World Children’s Day 2022 with Sachin Tendulkar, Regional Ambassador for UNICEF South Asia and with girls and boys participating from across India.

He has since then proactively supported the cause and has spoken up about sexual abuse and violence against children on a series of occasions, such as the International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child, World Day Against Child Labour and Safer Internet Day through his social media posts, which have got wide traction.

Ayushmann has often shared his thoughts on creating a safe space for children on the internet. His online interaction with two adolescents on cyber-bullying and internet safety received wide traction across the social and digital media spectrum and was featured by media such as The Indian Express, Outlook, Zeenews.com, and DT Next.

In August 2021, he launched Facebook India and UNICEF India's one-year joint initiative to protect children's rights against cyberbullying, in an attempt to build awareness on a national level about online safety for children in India.

On World Children's Day on 20 November 2021, Ayushmann spoke about the health crisis caused by the pandemic. He underscored how it had turned into “an acute humanitarian and child rights crisis.” On National Girl Child Day in January 2022, the actor encouraged his fans to help overcome preconceptions so that a girl may have equal access to opportunities as a male, and to break gender stereotypes. His messaging was picked up by popular web portals like Mid-Day, Women's Era, Pinkvilla, and Free Press Journal.

The actor has also supported UNICEF’s engagement with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This includes sharing posts related to National Girl Child Day and initiatives, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), which aims to make people aware of the protection and legal support the Act offers against child sexual abuse. He has lauded the government and UNICEF’s “stand on protecting the future generations of our country.”