NEW YORK, 10 November 2008: UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman was Monday honoured with Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year” Award for her engagement as UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador.
Since her appointment in 2006, Nicole Kidman has been raising awareness on the infringement of women’s human rights around the world, particularly on violence against women as a spokesperson of UNIFEM’s online campaign Say NO to Violence against Women at www.saynotoviolence.org.
– I want to encourage people of all nations to unite behind our call to end violence against women, she said Monday. – Invite friends and colleagues to sign on to the campaign and inform your family. The more people sign and show their support, the stronger the case for our cause. Let survivors of violence around the world know that they can count on us.
Violence against women is probably the most pervasive human rights violation that affects as many as one in three women. UNIFEM’s Internet-based Say NO campaign invites people to add their names to a call to make ending violence against women a top priority worldwide.
The initiative was designed to feed into UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year, system-wide global campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women. All signatures will be handed over by UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman to the UN Secretary-General on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
To date, some 500.000 individuals from around the world have added their names. Government representatives at the ministerial level or higher from more than 50 governments have added their names, along with over 200 civil society organizations.
– We are very honoured to have Nicole Kidman as our Goodwill Ambassador and would like to thank her for her commitment and great work, UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi said.
– Many people look the other way, but not Nicole, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro. – She traveled to Kosovo, visiting women still coming to terms with their immense losses from ethnic conflict and sexual assault. She spoke to young women affected by domestic violence, scared and ostracized, in dire need of help. Nicole’s presence gave many the courage to speak out.
Kilde: www.unifem.org
