Actor Trisha gets UNICEF celebrity advocate status

Tamil actor Trisha Krishnan has been conferred the UNICEF celebrity advocate status here today. Subsequently, "she will voice the rights of children including adolescents and young people," a UNICEF release said.

The actor will lend support to efforts to address issues such as anaemia, child marriage, child labour and child abuse, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it said. Chief of UNICEF office Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Job Zachariah was quoted as saying that Trisha was an "icon for the adolescents and young people."

"She has the power to amplify the children's issues and address the violation of child rights in the family, community and in public spaces," he said. She will also promote education and health of adolescents and the value of girl child in family and society, he added.

Trisha was the first film actor from South India to receive the recognition by UNICEF, the release said. The actor assured to commit herself "to create more awareness of health, education, nutrition and protection of children, especially the adolescents and young people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala." "I would support the efforts of the government to make Tamil Nadu malnutrition-free and open defecation free," she added.