There's a new member of the United Nations goodwill ambassador club.
Oscar winner Anne Hathaway has been tapped to help the U.N. promote gender equality and female empowerment.
The U.N.'s Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, told the Associated Press that the new mom will focus on the barriers to equality posed by women's work in the home.
“The ‘motherhood penalty’ … is a particularly insidious demonstration of gender inequality in the workplace,” Mlambo-Ngucka said. “The appointment of Anne is timely because this year U.N. Women is driving hard to foster more positive mindsets and practical arrangements around workplaces that build and support equality for women.”
She added that Hathway, 33, will promote the cause of paid parental leave and childcare services with employers as a way “to demonstrate that they understand the value of their staff — both male and female.”
Hathaway, who won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2013 for her role in Les Miserables, said in a statement that she feels “honored and inspired by this opportunity to aid in advancing gender equality."
She added, “Significant progress has already been made but it is time that we collectively intensify our efforts and ensure that true equality is finally realized."
Hathaway's past philanthropic work in this arena includes the Nike Foundation's effort to empower girls in the developing world, raising awareness of child marriage. She also narrated CNN's 2013 documentary Girl Rising.
She joins current U.N. Women ambassador Harry Potter star Emma Watson, who has been working on female empowerment issues since 2014.
Contributing: The Associated Press
