American musician and actress Jennifer Lopez has been announced as United Nations Foundation's first Global Advocate for Girls and Women.

In the new role, Lopez will help to 'amplify the call for action to address the needs and rights of girls and women around the world'. She commented 'Becoming a mother has made me more aware of the struggles of women and children throughout the world. While some progress has been made, there is still a lot more work that needs to be done for gender equality and universal access to medical care'.