Chennai: UNICEF has conferred Tamil actor Trisha Krishnan with its celebrity advocate status.

Subsequently, “she will voice the rights of children including adolescents and young people,” said a UNICEF release after a function in Chennai on November 20.

UNICEF, a member of the United Nations Development Group, provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.

The 34-year-old actor will lend support to efforts to address issues such as anemia, child marriage, child labor and child abuse, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the release said.

Trisha took to Twitter and posted a picture depicting her with the UNICEF certificate.

Chief of UNICEF office Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Job Zachariah was quoted as saying that Trisha was an “icon for the adolescents and young people.”

“She has the power to amplify the children’s issues and address the violation of child rights in the family, community and in public spaces,” he said. “She will also promote education and health of adolescents and the value of girl child in family and society,” he added.

Trishna, as she is popularly known, is the first film actor from South India to receive the recognition by UNICEF, the release said.

The actor assured to commit herself “to create more awareness on health, education, nutrition and protection of children, especially the adolescents and young people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.”

“I would support the efforts of government to make Tamil Nadu malnutrition-free and open defecation free,” she added.

Trishna primarily works in the South Indian film industries. She was noticed after winning several beauty pageants such as the Miss Madras contest in 1999.

Trisha was born to Krishnan and Uma in Chennai. Her Tamil speaking ancestors hailed from the Palakkad region of Kerala. She completed schooling at the Sacred Heart Matriculation School in Church Park, and studied Bachelor of Business Administration at the Ethiraj College for Women, both institutions in Chennai. She won the Miss India 2001 pageant’s “Beautiful Smile” award.