By Haruna Gimba
A group of Luminaries, Activists and Artistes had come together to spotlight life-changing interventions on ending the pandemic of violence against women and girl in an event held at New York, United States of America.
The event was organized to celebrate the 20 years of vital work to end violence against women and girls, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) hosted the fund-raising gala to showcase a range of innovative interventions that are working to end the pandemic globally.
Co-hosted by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Oscar-winning actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Nicole Kidman, the packed high-profile event brought together gender rights activists, UN officials and the private sector, spotlighting beneficiaries and their life-changing work across the world.
The UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said the night was to celebrate the essential work done by the UN Trust Fund and pay tribute to the grantees, whose success stories she said embody the resilience of women and girls in the face of violence. Violence against women and girls is now part of the public discourse
much more than ever before, along with significant progress in legislation and grassroots efforts to address the issue.
According to reports, violence against women continues to be a gross human rights violation of pandemic proportions, with one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner.
Health Reporters gathered that the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls.
Managed by UN Women, on behalf of the UN system, during the last 20 years, more than 400 organizations have been supported by the UN Trust Fund with results that indicate sustained resources and dedicated work can lead to the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Nicole Kidman said: “When I became UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador 10 years ago, my first mission took me to Kosovo, where I met with women and girls who had survived violence. That was when I first understood what the work of the UN Trust Fund really means.
“I saw first-hand the real difference it makes in lives of women and girls: They found shelter for themselves and their children. They received counseling to overcome the horrific trauma of rape during the war that had ravaged the Balkans. They were supported to make a living and stand on their own.
“It was a life-changing experience for me and one that has inspired me ever since. This is why, as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, I see my role as that of an advocate to end violence against women and girls.”
During the event, Patron of the UN Women for Peace Association, Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, a key supporter of the UN Trust Fund, was presented with the UN Trust Fund’s Orange Heart, for her outstanding efforts to end violence against women and girls.
Moderated by NBC journalist Richard Lui, with an Honorary Host Committee comprised of actors and actresses Sir Patrick Stewart, Danai Gurira, Ruth Wilson, Gillian Anderson, and Kelly LeBrock as well as luminaries such as Kweku Mandela, the event brought together 300 people at the Loeb Boathouse in New York’s Central Park, who heard moving stories of impact and change from beneficiaries of UN Trust Fund-supported projects.
