Katy Perry has supported UNICEF since 2013; from visiting vulnerable children in Madagascar to backing global vaccine access and emergency relief | World News

Katy Perry’s career has largely been defined by chart-topping songs, sold-out performances and a public profile that extends well beyond music. Since 2013, however, the American singer has also held a role with UNICEF, working to draw attention to the circumstances faced by children in vulnerable communities. Her involvement has taken her from a child protection centre in Madagascar to rural communities in Vietnam, while other campaigns have focused on emergency assistance and access to healthcare. Appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador more than a decade ago, Perry has continued to use her visibility to support the organisation’s work. Her contributions have included field visits, public appeals and fundraising efforts linked to the needs of children and families.

Katy Perry’s UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador role began in 2013

Perry became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2013, joining a group of public figures who use their professional reach to support the organisation’s work for children. The appointment reflected her interest in issues affecting young people, particularly those who face barriers to safety, education and basic services.Her early engagement included a visit to Madagascar, where she met children at a centre providing protection for those who had experienced abuse or abandonment. The visit also brought her into contact with young mothers dealing with difficult circumstances. It offered a closer look at the work involved in protecting children beyond the public campaigns and fundraising appeals often associated with international charities.For UNICEF, the role of a goodwill ambassador is partly about reaching audiences who might not otherwise follow its programmes. Perry’s music career gave her an established international platform, which the organisation could use to bring attention to its work in different countries.

Katy Perry’s UNICEF visit to Vietnam highlighted children’s needs in rural communities

In 2016, Perry travelled with UNICEF to Ninh Thuan Province in Vietnam. The rural region was among the places where the organisation was working with children and families facing economic hardship and limited opportunities. Her visit helped direct attention towards the circumstances of children living outside the country’s major urban centres.The trip was part of a wider period of engagement with UNICEF, rather than a one-off appearance. Perry had also visited Vietnam in 2015, when she stopped in Ho Chi Minh City to speak at Forbes Vietnam’s first Under 30 Summit. During the event, she moderated a discussion involving young professionals working on initiatives intended to benefit children.These appearances placed her advocacy in two different settings. The field visit brought her into contact with communities served by UNICEF, while the summit provided an opportunity to speak with younger people pursuing projects of their own. Both formed part of her wider involvement in conversations about children’s welfare and opportunities.

Katy Perry’s UNICEF work earns humanitarian recognition in 2016

Perry’s work with UNICEF received formal recognition in 2016, when the United States Fund for UNICEF presented her with the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award at its annual Snowflake Ball. The award acknowledged her commitment to the organisation’s efforts on behalf of children.That year, she also joined fellow UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors and other public figures in contributing to a global version of John Lennon’s Imagine. The project brought together well-known voices around a familiar song, using their collective reach to support UNICEF’s message.The recognition added a humanitarian dimension to Perry’s public profile, which already included a substantial music career. UNICEF’s biography describes her as one of the bestselling musical artists of all time, with more than 43 million albums sold worldwide and over 30 billion song streams. Her work with the organisation has developed alongside that career, rather than replacing it.

Supporting emergency relief and vaccine access

Perry’s advocacy has also extended to international emergencies. In 2021, she joined fellow UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors and other high-profile supporters in urging G7 countries to commit COVID-19 vaccine doses to lower-income nations. The appeal came during a period when access to vaccines remained uneven between wealthier countries and those with fewer resources.The campaign focused on the need to make vaccines available beyond countries that had secured substantial supplies for their own populations. By lending her name to the appeal, Perry helped support UNICEF’s call for a broader international response to the pandemic.Emergency relief has been part of her involvement with the organisation from the beginning. UNICEF identifies her public advocacy for its humanitarian work as one of the ways she has used her position to highlight the needs of children across different regions. Her participation in campaigns has included both longer-term issues, such as child protection, and urgent responses to events affecting families on a large scale.

Katy Perry links Daisy’s birth to UNICEF

In August 2020, Perry and her partner, actor Orlando Bloom, welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. They announced her birth through UNICEF’s platform and shared the first image of their family in a post that encouraged donations to the organisation.The announcement connected a personal event with UNICEF’s work to support mothers and newborns. The appeal asked people to contribute towards efforts to help ensure that women and babies receive the care they need. Rather than relying solely on a conventional celebrity announcement, the couple used the occasion to direct attention towards maternal and newborn health.The initiative was consistent with Perry’s established relationship with UNICEF. It gave the organisation an opportunity to reach her audience while drawing attention to healthcare needs that affect families around the world, including access to appropriate care during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Katy Perry’s humanitarian work spans children’s rights and LGBTQ+ equality

Perry’s public work has also included support for LGBTQ+ equality. She received the Trevor Project’s Hero Award in 2012, before her appointment as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and the Human Rights Campaign’s National Equality Award in 2017. In 2018, she received amfAR’s Award of Courage.Her UNICEF role, specifically, centres on children’s rights and wellbeing, with activities ranging from field visits to international appeals.The organisation’s profile of Perry records several milestones in her involvement, including her 2013 appointment, the Vietnam visit, the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award and the vaccine-access campaign. Those activities show how her work with UNICEF has taken different forms over the years, depending on the issue being addressed.More than a decade after her appointment, Perry remains associated with UNICEF’s efforts to improve conditions for children. Her involvement has not been limited to a single campaign or country. It has included direct visits, public advocacy and appeals connected to the health and protection of children and their families.