Appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in March 2019, Emmy-nominated television host, producer, award-winning author and one of  TIME 100 most influential people of 2023, Padma Lakshmi advocates for ending all forms of inequality around the world. Kicking off the Decade of Action by signing an open letter to world leaders demanding urgent action towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Lakshmi continues to leverage her influential platform to mobilize support for the Global Goals. 

Passionate about gender equality, Lakshmi authored an eye-opening op-Ed published on CNN on International Women’s Day to shine a spotlight on pervasive gender social norms and biases that hinder women and girls from achieving their potential. As the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency devastated the world, Lakshmi launched UNDP’s #HalfTheWorld campaign to raise awareness of the alarming rate at which the biggest crises of our time are increasing inequalities globally—reaching an audience of 152 million. 

Coinciding with the UN General Assembly and the Global COVID-19 Summit, Lakshmi spearheaded a women-led campaign called A Shot for All, to shine a spotlight on vaccine inequity between rich and poor countries. The UN Correspondents Association (UNCA) honored Lakshmi with the 2021 UNCA Advocate of the Year Award for her work on fighting inequality as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. 

Goodwill Ambassador in action