Press Release
UNIFEM and Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman Launch Internet Campaign on Ending Violence against Women
“More prominence in public debate needed” / Grants for 29 initiatives announced
For immediate release
Date: 26 November 2007
Media Inquiries:
(1) Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist, UNIFEM Headquarters, +1 212 906-6506,
(2) Letitia Anderson, Media Consultant, UNIFEM Headquarters, +1 212 906-6506,
United Nations, New York — The United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, its Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman, and a large number of partners launched an Internet campaign on ending violence against women today. Titled, “Say NO to Violence against Women,” the campaign invites people to add their names to a virtual book on a web site that has been developed specifically for this purpose: www.saynotoviolence.org. Urging hundreds of thousands — even millions — of people around the world to participate, the campaign aims to send a strong message to decision-makers to place ending violence against women high on the global agenda.
“Violence against women is an appalling human rights violation,” said UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman in a statement. “But it is not inevitable. We can put a stop to this. The more names we collect, the stronger our case to make ending violence against women a top priority for governments everywhere. This is why I was the first to sign my name.”
Statistics indicate that as many as one in three women will experience violence in her lifetime. Too often, this violence occurs with impunity for perpetrators and inadequate access to support for survivors. UNIFEM has been a leading advocate for decisive action to address the multiple manifestations of gender-based violence — whether it be domestic violence, human trafficking or systematic rape in conflict zones. The task continues, however, to be an uphill battle, as fear and shame prevent many women from speaking out.
Joanne Sandler, acting UNIFEM Executive Director, said: “The momentum to address violence against women is increasing. At least 89 countries, for example, have legislative provisions on domestic violence by now. But implementation of these laws is often insufficient due to a lack of political will, capacity and resources. As long as violence is pervasive and women do not dare to accuse their abusers, the issue needs to be much more prominent in public debate.”
UNIFEM’s Internet campaign highlights the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, through which more than 250 initiatives in close to 120 countries have received much-needed support in the past 10 years. As UNIFEM also announced today, close to US$5 million have been awarded this year to 29 initiatives, involving 35 countries.
Continuing its focus on supporting innovative partnerships that enhance implementation of existing laws, policies and strategies, the Trust Fund grants in 2007 represent an important step forward in increasing government and civil society action to respond to gender-based violence. In Rwanda, a grant to a district-level government will sensitize local leaders and authorities on community-based implementation of national laws on ending violence against women; in Egypt, funds will support implementation of relevant Criminal Code provisions that prohibit Female Genital Mutilation, including by stronger involvement of the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Social Solidarity and the police force; and in Albania, a network of NGOs will use the passage of the 2006 Law on Measures against Violence in Family Relations to take action on establishing a community-based referral system to support survivors of domestic violence, which will ultimately be handed over to local governments. Addressing the link between HIV/AIDS and violence against women, a Trust Fund grantee in Peru will raise awareness to improve prevention and address stigma and discrimination faced by HIV-positive women. For a complete list of Trust Fund grantees, click here.
“UN Trust Fund grantees have provided us with proven strategies to overcome gender-based violence,” said Joanne Sandler. “As an integral part of our Internet campaign, the UN Trust Fund shows that violence against women is a problem with a solution.”
Major civil society organizations, UN partners and private sector companies have come on board as launch partners to Say NO to Violence against Women. They include: Anglican Women’s Empowerment; Association for Women's Rights in Development; Avon Products, Inc.; Baha'i International Community; Business & Professional Women's Club of Barbados; Center for Women’s Global Leadership; DevNet; Directorate of Gender Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda; Fair Winds Trading; Feminist Press at the City University of New York; Freedom House; Global Aids Alliance; Grassroots Women Across Race; Help & Shelter; Human Rights Watch; International Catholic Association for Girls; International Council of Women; International Federation of Business and Professional Women; International Federation of University Women; International Federation of Women in Legal Careers; Ms. Foundation for Women; National Council for Research on Women (USA); National Council of Women's Organizations (USA); Network of East-West Women; Project Five-O; Rape Crisis Society of Trinidad and Tobago; Red Thread Network; Sisters of the Good Shepherd; Sistren Theatre Collective; Solutions by Design; Soroptimist International; United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF; United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, ESCAP; United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women; V-Day; Vital Voices Global Partnership; Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund; White Ribbon Campaign; Women’s Edge Coalition; Women's Media Center; Women's Media Watch Jamaica; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; World YWCA; Zonta International.
The campaign will run until 8 March 2008, International Women’s Day. It was developed on a pro bono basis by London-based advertising agency Leo Burnett, with additional pro bono support by companies arc, sky, vividas, tsunami, ITN source, MPC, and wave.
For more information, see:
- Statement by UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman on the occasion of the launch of the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign
- UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women – 2007 Grantees
- International Day to End Violence against Women – statement by UNIFEM Executive Director a.i. Joanne Sandler, 25 November 2007
