UNICEF India has appointed Indian women’s cricket team captain Smriti Mandhana as its Celebrity Advocate to promote children’s rights and equal opportunities for young people.
The announcement was made on October 11, marking the International Day of the Girl Child. Through the new role, Mandhana will build on her previous efforts to promote equality and highlight the challenges that continue to limit girls’ opportunities worldwide.As a role model for young women and girls, Mandhana will advocate for equal opportunities for girls in sports and other fields. She will also support UNICEF India’s initiatives focused on adolescent girls’ empowerment, health and well-being, helping them realise their full potential.”I am honoured to join UNICEF India as its Celebrity Advocate.
Playing cricket as a child taught me that every dream begins with an opportunity. With hard work, determination and encouragement, that opportunity can become something extraordinary. Every child and young person deserves the chance to dream big and reach their full potential,” Mandhana said.An Arjuna Award recipient, Mandhana is among India’s leading sportspersons. She was part of the Indian team that won the country’s first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title in 2025. In the same year, she became the first woman to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year, recording five centuries in the format.
In 2026, she became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and women’s T20 internationals. She is also the world’s top-ranked women’s ODI batter and a two-time ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.Welcoming Mandhana to the role, Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India’s Representative, said her journey from a young aspiring athlete to an internationally recognised cricket star demonstrates what girls can achieve when they receive the right opportunities.
McCaffrey said investing in girls’ rights, leadership and well-being was crucial for India’s future, adding that UNICEF looked forward to working with Mandhana to ensure every girl gets the opportunity to learn, play, lead and fulfil her potential.Mandhana has previously supported UNICEF-ICC campaigns promoting gender equality and life skills, along with UNICEF’s Promise to Children campaign.
India has 253 million adolescents, accounting for around one-fifth of its population and 21 per cent of the world’s adolescent population. Although access to education, healthcare and protection services has expanded, children in disadvantaged urban and rural communities continue to face poverty and limited access to quality services.Adolescent girls, in particular, face challenges that can restrict their choices regarding education, employment, marriage and social relationships.
UNICEF works with governments, communities, civil society organisations and young people to promote adolescent girls’ rights, independence and opportunities. Its initiatives focus on providing girls with knowledge, life skills, leadership opportunities and safe spaces to make informed decisions about their education, health and future.
The organisation also works with families and communities to challenge harmful gender norms, strengthen support systems, keep girls in education and improve access to social protection, skills and livelihood opportunities. These efforts aim to build girls’ confidence, expand their choices and help them lead healthier lives while delaying early marriage.