Plan International Canada names Rona Ambrose and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan inaugural Global Girls’ Rights Champions

New award recognizes two Canadians inspiring action for girls’ rights worldwide

TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Chair of Plan International Canada’s Board of Directors, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, actor and Plan International Canada Global Ambassador, are the first recipients of the organization’s Global Girls’ Rights Champion Award.

Launched in advance of International Day of the Girl on October 11, the award celebrates Canadians whose advocacy is opening opportunities and building support for girls’ rights worldwide. Ambrose is the first Champion for those aged 25 and up, while Ramakrishnan is the first Youth Champion, recognizing leaders aged 15 to 24. The two categories recognize that effectively advancing girls’ rights takes determined optimism and collective action across generations and geographies.

Through their distinct platforms, Ambrose and Ramakrishnan have helped Plan International Canada bring global issues affecting girls into public conversations and decision-making spaces worldwide. As the inaugural recipients, they represent the many people working in different ways to advance equality for girls.

Lindsay Glassco presents Maitreyi Ramakrishnan with the inaugural Global Girls' Rights Champion Award at Plan International Canada’s International Day of the Girl event in Toronto. Photo: Plan International Canada.

“The world is failing girls. Every day, progress is slipping away as girls are pulled out of school, forced into child marriage, and denied the right to shape their own futures,” said Lindsay Glassco, president and CEO of Plan International Canada. “Maitreyi and Rona are using their voices and leadership to push equality for girls forward. When girls can learn, stay healthy, and live free from violence, the benefits extend far beyond their own lives. Families are stronger, communities are more resilient, and we all share in a safer and more prosperous future.”

Ramakrishnan, best known for starring in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever and the recently released movie Best of the Best, has served as a Plan International Canada Global Ambassador since 2020. With a background in human rights and equity studies, she brings that perspective to her advocacy, listening to young people and using her platform to draw attention to the barriers girls face worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she rallied support for Plan International’s response in India, helping provide life-saving care to affected families.

In 2023, she sat down with girls in Geita, Tanzania, to learn from them about how period stigma, limited access to menstrual products, and long journeys to school affect their education. She turned those insights into action, sharing the girls’ experiences with her audience. In 2026, Ramakrishnan brought the conversation to her Twitch community through a five-hour livestream with youth leaders from five countries, combining candid conversation and gaming to engage online communities in advancing equality for girls.

Caption: Plan International Canada Global Ambassador Maitreyi Ramakrishnan emcees the premiere documentary screening of "I Have a Name" during the organization's International Day of the Girl celebration in Toronto on October 1, 2026. Photo: Plan International Canada.

The Honourable Rona Ambrose is a former federal cabinet minister, current Deputy Chair of TD Securities, and a long-standing advocate for women’s and girls’ equality. As Minister for the Status of Women in 2011, she partnered with Plan International Canada to lead Canada’s efforts to establish International Day of the Girl at the United Nations. Observed each October 11, the day has grown from a grassroots campaign involving thousands of young people and supporters across Canada into a global movement recognizing girls’ achievements and the barriers they face.

As a Member of Parliament, Ambrose worked with Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad to champion a refugee program that brought more than 1,000 Yazidi survivors of sexual violence and exploitation to safety in Canada. She also worked to advance sexual assault laws and the rights of Indigenous women. Later, she wrote a children’s book celebrating girls worldwide. She has served on Plan International Canada’s Board of Directors since 2017, becoming Chair in 2022, continually using her platform to advocate for girls’ equality.

Ambrose has brought girls’ perspectives into discussions with Canadian leaders and decision makers. Her leadership reflects a belief that girls’ rights are not a standalone issue; when girls can learn, lead, and make decisions about their own lives, communities and economies are stronger.

Caption: The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Chair of Plan International Canada’s Board of Directors and inaugural Global Girls’ Rights Champion Award recipient. Photo: Plan International Canada.

A global moment for girls
The awards come at a time when girls’ rights are under attack around the world, putting millions of girls’ access to education, health care, and safety at risk.

Last year, Plan International Canada reached 7.9 million children worldwide, including 4.1 million girls, helping expand access to health care and education, protect children from violence, and support families facing humanitarian crises.

Take action

Learn more: Learn what becomes possible when girls’ voices are heard, their rights are upheld, and their potential is recognized.

Support: Help more girls learn, lead, and shape their own future.

About Plan International Canada
Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships with and for children for almost 90 years and is now active in more than 80 countries.

We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind, or not equally valued. We are determined optimists, and we will continue to persevere until we are all equal.

Visit plancanada.ca for more information.

Media contact
Plan International Canada
PR & Communications
PRteam@plancanada.ca

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