Australian basketball player Lauren Jackson has been announced as a national Champion for the United Nations Women National Committee Australia.
As a Champion, Jackson will attend the Canberra International Womens’ Day Lunch, where she will help to educate on the subject of gender equality.
“I am proud to take on this role with the Australian NC for UN Women,” Jackson says. “I hope to be able to be a role model for women, promoting gender equality amongst Australians and around the world.”
Jackson is one of Australia’s most successful athletes, having won four Olympic medals with her basketball team, the Opals. Lauren was the flag bearer at the 2012 Olympic Games, at which she became the highest point scorer in Olympic womens’ basketball history.
Jackson is currently majoring in Gender Studies at Macquarie University. She is also ambassador of the Mukomeze Foundation, which helps empower the women and girls who survived the sexual violence of the Rwandan genocide.
The UN Women National Committee Australia is one of 18 National Committees globally that supports UN Women through advocacy and fundraising. They have a formal membership base of 1350 individuals and NGOs, and more than 30,000 people attend their International Women’s Day events each year.
“We are delighted to have Lauren as a Champion for our organisation,” said Julie McKay, Executive Director for the Australian National Committee for UN Women. “Lauren has, through her sporting achievements and advocacy for women’s rights, shown herself to be a great leader and role model for all Australians.”
