by Emilia Clarke, the beloved actress best known for her iconic portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, has proven herself to be much more than just a talented performer. Over the years, Emilia has emerged as a passionate philanthropist, using her celebrity platform and influence to raise awareness and effect positive change around the world. From women’s rights to brain injury recovery, Emilia’s charitable work and advocacy reveal her to have a kind heart and deep commitment to giving back. Let’s take a look at three inspiring ways Emilia is creating change for the better.
Emilia as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
In 2019, Emilia was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment. She joined other high-profile ambassadors like Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, and Emma Watson in this important role. As Goodwill Ambassador, Emilia has made it her mission to advocate for women around the world, speaking out against inequality, lack of access to education, violence, and more.
One of Emilia’s major focuses is promoting education for girls worldwide. She gave an impassioned speech about this at a UN Women event in 2019, saying “I want to use my platform to shine a light on the work that needs to continue to create gender equality…Education is one key way to help liberate women so they have the freedom to forge their own paths.” She stressed the importance of equal access to education as being key for women to lift themselves out of poverty.
Emilia has also used her platform to speak out against all forms of violence against women, saying “Violence against women needs to end, and it needs to end now.” She emphasizes that women experiencing domestic abuse often feel afraid and powerless to speak out, and has encouraged society to build support systems that make it easier for women to find help.
In 2020, Emilia wrote an open letter advocating for women’s health resources and support for new mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared her concerns over “the effect that this pandemic will have on women and girls across the world”, highlighting increased domestic violence, lack of maternal healthcare, and economic insecurity. Her letter called on governments to take action to protect and empower women during this difficult time.
Overall, Emilia Clarke’s role as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador has enabled her to shine a light on global gender inequality issues on a huge platform. She is passionate about creating a world where women everywhere have equal rights, safety, healthcare, and educational opportunities.
Emilia’s Work with Brain Injury Charity SameYou
In 2019, Emilia bravely opened up about suffering two life-threatening brain aneurysms while filming Game of Thrones earlier in her career. After recovering from multiple grueling brain surgeries, Emilia realized how lucky she was to receive top medical care, while many people struggle alone after a brain injury.
To help change this, she launched the charity SameYou with her mother in 2019. SameYou’s mission is to provide brain injury survivors with access to vital rehabilitation services so they can recover and get their lives back. The charity also works to raise awareness, end stigma around brain injuries, and advocate for increased support.
Emilia has been very candid about her experience with brain injury in hopes of uplifting others who are recovering. She said, “I know from personal experience that the impact of brain injury is shattering…People can suffer terrible brain injuries yet not look sick or disabled. SameYou aims to bring hope to these people.”
In 2021, Emilia ran the London Marathon and raised over £275,000 for SameYou. She said brain injury survivors and their loved ones don’t have to “feel alone or ashamed.” Her courage to speak openly has helped many feel less alone in their recovery journeys.
SameYou has partnered with world-class rehab centers to provide specialized care and services to patients recovering from brain injuries and strokes. Even through the pandemic, SameYou continued its work to empower survivors. Emilia is hands-on in overseeing and promoting the charity’s efforts to enact meaningful change in brain injury recovery and research.
Emilia’s Support For Other Charitable Causes
In addition to her incredible work with UN Women and SameYou, Emilia has also used her platform and resources to promote a number of other impactful charities over the years.
She has been a vocal advocate for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Foundation, a charity that provides wellbeing and financial support to nursing staff in the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emilia gave heartfelt video messages thanking frontline nurses for their sacrifice and encouraging public donations to the RCN Foundation.
Emilia has also shown support for UK homelessness charities like Shelter, which works to provide housing, legal aid, and other resources to those in need. She shared info about Shelter’s holiday fundraiser one year, saying “Let’s try to help as many people as possible who are forced to sleep rough on the streets this Christmas.”
Other charitable organizations Emilia has promoted include Red Nose Day, a major fundraiser for children’s charities worldwide, and Tusk Trust, a wildlife conservation non-profit in Africa. Emilia often uses social media to spread the word about causes she is passionate about and encourage more people to get involved in giving back.
In Conclusion
Emilia Clarke’s extensive humanitarian work and social consciousness set an inspiring example of how celebrities can leverage their talents and fame to enact positive change. Instead of simply enjoying the perks of stardom, Emilia has demonstrated a deep commitment to standing up for women’s rights, destigmatizing health issues like brain injuries, and using her resources to support a broad range of important causes worldwide.
Whether acting as a UN Ambassador focused on equality and justice for women, bravely sharing her own health story to help others with brain injuries, or using her voice to bolster charities protecting the vulnerable and preserving the planet, Emilia reminds us of how much good one dedicated person can do. She once said, “I just want to use whatever profile I have to make the world a bit better in whatever way I can.” For countless women, survivors, and others in need, Emilia has done exactly that. Her selfless philanthropy proves she is a true Mother of Dragons on and off the screen.
