Yemi Alade is doing what she can to help the poorest and most vulnerable people, who are often women, especially in developing nations as the “Johnny” singer was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador on Wednesday.
Her mission – to help shine a spotlight on the disproportionate impact of the health and socio-economic crisis most often suffered by women. Yemi Alade will mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on fighting inequality, empowering women, and raising awareness to the impacts of climate change.
“Women are among the 4 billion people who are trying to survive COVID-19 without any form of social protection,” said Alade. “I want to lend my voice to these women and other vulnerable people who make up half of the world that’s struggling to make ends meet. They don’t have the luxury of working from home and are putting their health at risk just to put food on the table.”
Adding “But as we address poverty and inequality in our COVID-19 recovery plans, we can’t put climate change on the back burner. Climate change and poverty go hand-in-hand, and neither is gender-neutral. Women in developing countries, such as my homeland Nigeria, are disproportionately affected by both.”
The Afrobeats singer with over 12 million followers on instagram sings in English, Igbo, Yoruba, Swahili and Portuguese. With many awards under her belt, it is worth noting that Yemi was featured in the campaign Unite for the Future by Global Citizen in partnership with Nelson Mandela Foundation and MTV Base.
Giving the announcement on all social media platforms, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner welcomed the appointment noting that the agency was currently focusing on women’s empowerment and championing a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steiner, welcoming Alade to the UNDP family said – “We can’t wait to hit the ground running with you, Yemi. We look forward to hearing and sharing the issues that you are passionate about — including women’s empowerment and tackling inequality,” said
“We at UNDP will also be working to amplify your voice on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in developing countries and the importance of a green and equitable recovery for all.”
