Anne Hathaway on Wednesday became the latest Hollywood actress to be named to a position with the United Nations, this time as a goodwill ambassador for U.N. Women.
“I feel honored and inspired by this opportunity to aid in advancing gender equality. Significant progress has already been made, but it is time that we collectively intensify our efforts and ensure that true equality is finally realized,” Hathaway said in a U.N. Women press release.
According to the press release, Hathaway will be working internationally to “put the spotlight on the issue of the unequal burden of care work in the home as one of the key barriers to gender equality.”
This will include fighting for policies that elevate women on a business level worldwide, including shared parental leave and affordable childcare services.
U.N. Undersecretary General and U.N. Women Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said Hathaway’s appointment was “timely” because of the group’s newfound focus on workplace equality.
“To make the case for how this will increase opportunities for women, we needed an advocate who had the intellect and passion to tackle this complex issue,” she said. “Within moments of meeting Anne, I realized that we had found our woman. We are truly honored to have her onboard.”
The Oscar-winner has worked with children around the world through the Nike Foundation and traveled to Kenya and Ethiopia to combat child marriages.
Hathaway will join actress Emma Watson, who was tapped by U.N. Women as a goodwill ambassador in 2014. The United Nations also features Angelina Jolie as a special envoy and Connie Britton as a goodwill ambassador for its development program.
