Australian Hollywood actor Phoebe Tonkin has been appointed as a national ambassador for leading humanitarian and girls’ rights organisation, Plan International Australia.
Known for her work in hit films and television shows including The Originals, Boy Swallows Universe and H2O: Just Add Water, Tonkin has also been a long time activist, speaking out for gender equality and rights for women and girls around the world.
In her role as an ambassador for Plan International Australia, Tonkin will help the voices of girls who face early marriage, violence, hunger and period shame – among other gendered issues – be heard.
“I am so excited and proud to be a part of the movement Plan International are creating, working together to realise equality for girls both here at home and all over the world,” Tonkin said.
“There has never been a more important time for us to set differences aside, and to build a world where we are all equal.”
Tonkin will mainly work in supporting Plan International Australia’s Children in Crisis fund, which sends emergency help to children in conflict zones, children who face the threat of the global climate crisis and children in poverty.
“If you were to count all of the children right now who are living in a conflict or war, they would be equivalent to the third most populous country in the world, after China and India. I am unwilling to accept this,” Tonkin said.
“Climate disasters are only going to increase in coming years, and we are living through the worst levels of hunger that the world has ever seen. Poverty is increasing, and inequality is only widening. And for the girls living in these volatile locations, the risks they face are heightened.”
Tonkin believes education is the way forward to address the severe inequality women and girls face in many corners of the globe. According to Plan International Australia, if every 10-year-old girl was offered secondary education, it would lift the economies of the poorest nations by USD$21 billion each year.
“In times of crises, girls are often the first to be pulled out of school, and many are likely to never return,” Tonkin said.
“An education is a human right, and Plan International is deeply committed to ensuring all children, especially girls and those in the most vulnerable of contexts, have access to quality education.
“A better now for girls really does mean a better future for everyone.”
Throughout her work in television in film, including starring in the Emmy-winning SBS miniseries Safe Harbour, directing the short film Furlough and tarring in the box office hit Tomorrow When the War Began, Tonkin has always been outspoken about humanitarian issues. She has harnessed her platform to speak out on issues including refugee rights, climate justice and gender equality, especially for adolescent girls.
“Girls are entitled to the power and agency to shape their futures,” Tonkin said.
“I want to see a world where all girls feel empowered and believe they can achieve anything they set their mind to, and that’s why I am an ambassador for Plan International Australia and the incredible communities and girls they work with.”