Actress Millie Bobby Brown met with young adolescent girls in one of São Paulo’s most under-resourced districts, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to address key issues in girls’ rights and education in Brazil. 

From Screen Star to Global Advocate

Brown rose to international fame as the lead in Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” but off-screen, she has become an influential voice. According to UNICEF, she became UNICEF’s youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador at age 14 in 2018. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Brown has used her global platform to speak out on issues ranging from child poverty and online bullying to girls’ education and mental health.

According to UNICEF, Brown visited the Cidade Tiradentes district in March 2025 to listen to problems associated with girls’ rights and education in Brazil. Some of these include girls’ experiences with gender-based violence, school dropout, period poverty and limited access to job opportunities. 

“We talked about the importance of supporting each other through our respective challenges and I wanted them to feel empowered to make decisions about their future,” Bobby said in an interview with UNICEF.

Her experiences with public scrutiny and online harassment have helped shape a more empathetic approach to her advocacy. According to UNICEF, Brown has previously spoken out about her bullying experiences in school.

Issues Facing Girls’ Rights and Education in Brazil

According to UNICEF, there are limitations when it comes to adolescent girls’ rights and education in Brazil. Period poverty, which is a lack of access to feminine supplies and information about menstrual cycles, decreases school participation and affects more than 10 million girls in Brazil.

Violence continues to be a major concern in Brazil, with a report of sexual violence occurring every eight minutes against a girl in 2028. Additionally, in 2020, 14% of all births in the country were to adolescent mothers. This frequently results in disruptions to their education and long-term economic challenges, per UNICEF reports.

Between January and September of 2024, approximately 3,060 girls lost their lives to violence in Brazil, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). Only about one-third of these cases were officially classified by police as femicides. Brazilian law defines femicides as “killings on account of being persons of the female sex.”

Human Rights Watch reports that some groups have exploited the digital rights of girls. Between November 2023 and April 2024, more than 80 girls reported seeing their manipulated photos on social media. These photos were “sexually explicit deepfakes of them.”

Brown’s On-the-Ground Engagement

Brown visited a school, painted a mural with students and also played capoeira, a traditional Brazilian game, during a physical education class. Brown also met with staff to learn about UNICEF’s Active School Search project. This project can assist in locating children who are not attending school. It can also provide them with the proper resources and guidance needed to help re-enroll them to continue their education.

Among the girls Brown spoke to was 14-year-old Kizzy. Kizzy told UNICEF that school is very important for anyone living in a marginalized area. “Having the school as a source of support for students is essential and always putting the students first is very important,” Kizzy told UNICEF.

According to Microsoft Network (MSN), Brown also engaged in meaningful discussions with the teacher to stress the need for supporting children living in vulnerable conditions. She focused on encouraging a cooperative effort to tackle both educational and social issues affecting the Brazilian community.

Recognizing the perspective of the students, she reassured them that their desire for knowledge about their bodies deserves immediate attention. “We are the change that the school needs and the community needs,” Brown said. 

UNICEF Brazil Representative Youssouf Abdel-Jelil described Brown as an “inspiration to girls in Brazil and around the world.” Brown’s work left a lasting impact on those she encountered, according to MSN, strengthening UNICEF’s commitment to advancing children’s rights and instilling a sense of hope and resilience in the next generation.

– Clarissa Dean

Clarissa is based in Bowling Green, KY, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr