Model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been working with UNICEF since 2014 and has a particular interest in issues facing women and girls
In July 2016 she travelled to Lesotho in Southern Africa to meet children and families affected by the food and water crisis that is devastating the region.
” The challenges faced by families go beyond just the lack of food and water,” wrote Rosie following the trip. “As the burden on parents increases, many of girls are encouraged to find boyfriends to help support them, but this can put them at greater risk of violence and abuse, as well as potentially exposing them to HIV. UNICEF told me that in some cases women and girls are having to resort to exchanging sex for food. The thought of a young girl having to go to such extreme measures just to survive is just heartbreaking.”
"The thought of a young girl having to go to such extreme measures just to survive is just heartbreaking."
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, High Profile Supporter
Your donation to our East Africa famine appeal could save a life
In March last year Rosie supported an open letter calling on the UK government to act to protect women and children from sexual violence in conflict. She was one of 25 leading UK women signatories who united in this letter ahead of International Women’s Day, calling for real actions from the government.
In 2014 Rosie travelled to Cambodia in Southeast Asia for Soccer Aid. She saw how easily preventable diseases continue to be a high cause of mortality amongst the most disadvantaged and how UNICEF is providing life-saving treatments.