Kareena Kapoor Khan

In its 75th year of partnership with India, UNICEF appointed Kareena Kapoor Khan, one of the most iconic stars of Indian Cinema, Kareena Kapoor Khan, as the organization’s National Ambassador. 

In her role, Kareena Kapoor Khan will support UNICEF India in furthering every child’s right to early childhood development, health, education and gender equality.

As UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate since 2014, Kareena Kapoor Khan has strongly advocated for girls’ education, gender equality, foundational learning, immunization, and breastfeeding. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Khan advocated for children’s learning and return to school once schools reopened. She has also been instrumental in several UNICEF global campaigns on #EveryChildRights.

On her conferment as UNICEF India National Ambassador, Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “There are few things as important as the rights of children, the future generation of this world. I am honoured to continue my association with UNICEF now as India’s National Ambassador. I will strive to use my voice and influence for vulnerable children and their rights, especially around early childhood, education and gender equality. Every child deserves a childhood, a fair chance, a future.”
 

Kareena Kapoor is a top Bollywood actor who is noted for playing various characters across a range of film genres. She has received six Filmfare Awards and has firmly established herself as the best female actor in the Indian Film Industry. She has made valuable contributions to the industry and strongly supports social causes that make a difference in society.

Kareena Kapoor has supported UNICEF India in quality education for almost half a decade. Kareena Kapoor was appointed as a UNICEF celebrity advocate in 2014.

Some of her critical public service statements on this issue are helping us spread the message of child-friendly schooling and the need to include secondary education under the ambit of the Right to Education (RTE) to communities across India. She will also participate in our fundraising and advocacy events for this cause.   
“Good quality education is the basic right for every child. Children are the future of our country, and if they don’t have access to good quality education, the future of our country will be questionable. Thus, it is essential to encourage child-friendly and inclusive learning environments, shifting the focus from ‘Right to Education’ to ‘Right to Learn and Quality Education,” says Kareena Kapoor.

As a happy, independent woman who has always exemplified living life on her terms, Kareena Kapoor is a role model for adolescent girls who are facing the difficult forked path of secondary education or early marriage. 

Kareena Kapoor also starred in the movie 3 Idiots, which delved deep into the problem of substandard education systems prevalent in India. Through her work, she reiterated every child’s right to joyful learning through child-friendly schools and teaching methods.

Kareena Kapoor is specifically advocating for secondary education for teenage girls above 14 years of age, as that would allow them to continue learning in a protected space, equipping themselves with life skills and empowering themselves with knowledge while also keeping away the unwanted pressures of early marriage and pregnancy.

Kareena Kapoor is supporting our efforts to improve the quality of education in schools and encouraging dialogue on the various facets of the RTE. 

With her support and the efforts of other stakeholders, this child-centred approach is now being practised in 250,000 primary schools nationwide, resulting in a major improvement in academic and co-curricular outcomes.

Kareena Kapoor has visited schools in rural Rajasthan and Maharashtra to interact with children in Child-Friendly Schools. Child-friendly schools endeavour to create happy spaces where children can freely intermingle with teachers, are safe and secure, and where interactive and creative tools are used to ensure happy learning.