Meet UNICEF India's first cohort of Youth Advocates
Gauranshi Sharma, Nahid Afrin, Vinisha Umashankar, Kartik Verma sign up as new advocates for rights of children
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The UNICEF Youth Advocate Programme, launched globally in 2018, aims to empower young people by providing them with advocacy skills, facilitating their meaningful participation at important platforms to express themselves, and opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogues at local, national, and international levels.
Advocates are chosen based on their passion for social issues, ability to inspire peers, and potential to be positive role models. Currently, the UNICEF Youth Advocates network spans over 120 young leaders across regions.
The programme was initiated in 2023 in India and is expanding. Three new Youth Advocates were announced at an event in Delhi on 04 May, alongside the conferment of a new UNICEF Celebrity Ambassador.
Gauranshi Sharma, 18, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Interest Areas: Inclusion, Right to Play, Inclusive Education
Gauranshi Sharma is a beacon of courage and determination, living with speech and hearing disabilities, she has emerged as a trailblazing badminton player and youth advocate.
She has won gold at the Deaflympics (2021), team gold at the Summer Deaflympics (2022), the World Youth Deaf Badminton Championship (2023), and silver at the Asia-Pacific Deaf Games in Kuala Lumpur (2024). In November 2025, she represented India at the Deaflympics in Tokyo.
Appointed as UNICEF India’s first Youth Advocate in October 2023 by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, Gauranshi champions inclusion, the Right to Play, and inclusive education.
She represented India at the UN Summit of the Future in New York (2024) and has led inspiring campaigns back home in Bhopal, from #EatRightThali on National Youth Day to menstrual health awareness through the #RedDotChallenge. Featured in the Webby Award-winning UNICEF video 'Dear Adults', she continues to use her platform to amplify young voices and prove that, with support and access, every child can thrive.
Kartik Verma, 20, Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh
Interest Areas: Child Rights Advocacy, Climate Change, Immunization
Kartik Verma, UNICEF India Youth Advocate from Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, is shaping how children engage with climate policy - from classrooms to UN corridors.
A Child Advisor to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) for General Comment 26 and Steering Committee Member of UNEP’s Children and Youth Major Group, Kartik brings a rare mix of lived experience and policy insight to the global stage.
As a UNICEF India Youth Advocate, he’s led pathbreaking initiatives, including the first-ever participation of children at the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) India 2024, where he opened space for children alongside youth in national climate dialogues. Through his initiative, Knowledge for Nature, he’s reached over 4,000 children in 130+ schools, grounding global commitments in local action.
From Geneva to Baku, Kartik continues to amplify children’s right to a clean and sustainable environment, proving that young people aren’t waiting for the future; they’re already leading it.
Nahid Afrin, 24, Guwahati, Assam
Interest Areas: Mental Health, Child Marriage, Early Childhood Development
Nahid is a singer and youth influencer from Guwahati, Assam. She first came into the national spotlight as the runner-up on Indian Idol Junior Season 2 in 2015 and has since used her voice and platform to champion issues that matter to children and young people.
She was appointed Child Rights Champion for the North-East in 2018 and became a UNICEF India Youth Advocate in May 2024. Nahid speaks actively about mental health, menstrual hygiene, and ending child marriage, and regularly engages with students and communities across the country.
Her journey as a youth advocate includes representing India at the UNICEF ROSA Youth Advocacy Guide Champion Training in Kathmandu (September 2024), leading the #RedDotChallenge, appearing on a parenting podcast with Kareena Kapoor Khan, and addressing students at IIT Bombay on World Mental Health Day, 2024.
In 2025, she facilitated mental health training for young people in Mumbai, represented youth voices at the Regional World Health Summit in New Delhi, joined national youth consultations with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and her message on Mental Health reached world leaders during the UNGA UNICEF High-Level event in September and as part of UNICEF's WCD 'Child in Me' campaign. She is a staunch mental health advocate, with music to guide her.
Vinisha Umashankar, 17, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Interest Areas: Innovation, Climate Change, Girls in STEM
Vinisha Umashankar, at the young age of 17, has emerged as a globally recognised champion for climate action and innovation. Her dedication to environmental sustainability has been recognized with several prestigious awards.
Among these, she received the National Youth Award 2020-2021 from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, and the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Award 2019, honouring innovative young minds. Her achievements have crossed national borders, earning her the RISE Global Winner 2023 title.
She has also received The Diana Award 2023 for her efforts to enhance the lives of others, and the Tamil Nadu Green Champion Award 2022 for her local environmental initiatives. Vinisha's compelling address at COP26 left a lasting impression on global leaders.
Her innovative Solar Ironing Cart project showcased her ingenuity and secured her a finalist spot in the Clean Our Air category of The Earthshot Prize 2021. As a UNICEF India Youth Advocate, Vinisha symbolizes the dynamic potential of young innovators and their unwavering commitment to achieving a more sustainable future.
