UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for indigenous people
In October 2019, the young and famous Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the indigenous peoples, for a two-year term. Her designation came in light of her commitment towards the issues of gender equality, indigenous rights, and the rights of domestic workers.
Yalitza Aparicio was born 11 December 1993 in Tlaxiaco, Mexico, to parents of indigenous origin. Whilst training as a primary school teacher, she was cast as the role of a domestic worker Cleo in Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma (2018), which received international acclaim and earned her a nomination for Best Actress Oscar, making her the first Indigenous Mexican woman to receive such a nomination.
Since her film debut, Ms Aparicio intentionally used her new platform to advocate gender equality, indigenous rights and domestic workers’ rights.
