Anne Hathaway named U.N. goodwill ambassador

NEW YORK, June 16 (UPI) — Anne Hathaway has been named a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.

The Oscar-inning actress will help promote gender equality and female empowerment with a focus on fighting for paid parental leave at both government and corporate levels, it was announced Wednesday.

“The appointment of Anne is timely because this year UN Women is driving hard to foster more positive mindsets and practical arrangements around workplaces that build and support equality for women,” U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said in an official statement.

“Stereotypes that make it hard for fathers to take time away from work to care for a child are outdated leftovers from the ‘male breadwinner’ model and have no place in today’s mixed workforce. Well-implemented parental leave is just one way for employers to demonstrate that they understand the value of their staff—both male and female,” she continued.

“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. Within moments of meeting Anne I realized that we had found our woman. We are truly honored to have her on board.”

“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.

She joins U.N. Women ambassador Emma Watson who said in February she planned to take a break from acting to focus more on activism and her own self-growth. “I want to try to talk to people who might not encounter feminism and talk to them about feminism,” she said at the time. “It’s a really interesting job and it’s a really interesting line to tread. I want to engage in the topic with people who wouldn’t normally.”

Hathaway and her husband Adam Shulman welcomed their first child together, a baby boy in March.