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Sachin Tendulkar, the UNICEF South Asia Regional Ambassador, and renowned cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan united to champion gender equality during the India-Sri Lanka World Cup match. Their collaborative initiative, ‘One Day for Children,’ illuminated the stadium in UNICEF’s iconic cyan blue, symbolizing support for children’s rights.
Tendulkar highlighted the match as an opportunity to advocate for equality, urging players, audiences, and ICC partners to pledge for equal treatment for boys and girls, building a world where every child, especially girls, enjoys equal rights.
During the match’s second innings, Tendulkar and Muralitharan triggered the iconic Wankhede Stadium’s transformation with a button press, bathing it in UNICEF’s blue color. In an effort to engage audiences, LED wrist bands, distributed upon entry, turned blue in unison with the stadium and linked to a pledge for children through a QR code. Players also sported unique armbands featuring the World Cup, ‘One Day 4 Child,’ and UNICEF logos along with their names.
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Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Representative, emphasized the power of cricket to advocate for better, safer, and empowering lives for millions of girls and boys. The partnership between UNICEF, ICC, and BCCI aimed to raise awareness and promote gender equality among young fans, encouraging them to be advocates for children, particularly for girls.
The initiative aligns with the focus of the UNICEF-ICC partnership since 2022, aiming to empower girls and young women through cricket. Tendulkar highlighted the transformative power of sports in children’s lives, underscoring the importance of girls’ participation in challenging gender norms and shifting attitudes in schools, playgrounds, and homes.
South Asia harbors a vast potential with one-third of the world’s 600 million adolescent girls, where their capabilities remain largely untapped. Tendulkar stressed the necessity of investments in the health and nutrition of girls and women to save lives and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Throughout the ICC Men’s World Cup, UNICEF and ICC have run multiple initiatives promoting gender equality, including cricket clinics where players engaged with young boys and girls across India. In his role as the UNICEF South Asia Regional Ambassador, Tendulkar visited Sri Lanka in August 2023, meeting children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 economic crisis.
-IANS
