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UN Gender Focus: Ending violence against women, spotlight on sex trafficking, and empowering women

UN Gender Focus: Ending violence against women, spotlight on sex trafficking, and empowering women

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The International Day for the Eliminationof Violence against Women

It’s time to take collective action to end violence against women and girls for good, at every level of society across the world. That’s the emphatic message delivered by UN chief António Guterres on Wednesday, at an event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.  This event launched sixteen days of activism to end violence against women.  The Secretary-General said every woman and girl had the right to a life free from violence, while more than one in three, are victims of a violent act at some point in their lives. Matt Wells reports.

Serinda Swan at the UN Radio studio in New York. UN News/Elizabeth Scaffidi

Integrating entertainment with philanthropyto spotlight sex trafficking

At the event Celebrating World TV Day held at UN Headquarters in New York, actress Serinda Swan spoke on the importance of integrating entertainment with philanthropy as a way to spotlight important issues.  She has raised awareness of sex trafficking by having her TV character in the US drama series, Graceland, sold into slavery.  Ms Swan told Liz Scaffidi how she used her starring role as a Drug Enforcement Agency agent, to put the human trafficking issue into mainstream media.

Inna Modja, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

Involving men plays crucial role forwomen’s empowerment, says activist

Men should be playing a more active role in empowering women, and helping to end the scourge of gender-based violence.  That is the message of Inna Modja, a Malian singer and activist, who suffered female genital mutilation, or FGM, when she was just 4-years-old.  FGM is internationally recognized as a human rights violation, and more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut, in 30 countries, across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  Inna spoke to Cristina Silveiro, a few weeks ago.  She begins by discussing the Spotlight initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Presenter: Fatima E. Mendez

Co-Producer: Matt Wells

Duration:  10'00"

Feature Image: Logo for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign led by the Secretary General's initiative UNiTE to End Violence against Women

Audio Duration
9'59"
Photo Credit
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe