Challenge Grant to End Violence against Women

UN Foundation to donate $1 for every signature to UNIFEM
online campaign

WASHINGTON DC / New York (January 22, 2008) - The United Nations Foundation announced today its support for the “Say NO to Violence against Women” campaign. The Foundation will donate $1 for each the first 100,000 signatures to the online campaign that is run by the UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM. The contributions will go to the UNIFEM-managed UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

“Recent UN research has demonstrated the shameful scope of violence against women around the world, where one in three women are subject to some form of coercion or abuse in their lifetimes,” said Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation. “To turn the tide on violence, the international community must work together to stand up for the human rights of women and that’s what UNIFEM’s “Say NO” campaign does. It allows people everywhere to go on record and stand up for a world free of violence against women.”

“Thanks to this fantastic challenge grant, every signature will bolster our cause to make ending violence against women worldwide a top priority”, said UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman who champions the campaign. What’s more, it will help provide critical resources for local initiatives that are supported through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women – whether it is working to prevent human trafficking, assisting survivors of domestic violence or helping implement laws against rape.”

People can sign on to the campaign at www.sayNOtoviolence.org.

“The more people join, the stronger the message that there is an ever-growing movement of people who are demanding decisive action to put a stop to what is probably the most pervasive human rights violation”, added acting UNIFEM Executive Director Joanne Sandler. “This generous donation will provide an additional strong incentive for people to sign up to the campaign.”

The “Say No to Violence against Women” campaign was launched November 26, 2007. To date more than 18,000 people worldwide have signed the call that urges an end to violence against women and encourages support to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. This Trust Fund, managed by UNIFEM for the UN system, supports innovative initiatives by governments and non-governmental organizations to end violence against women. Since its establishment in 1996, it has helped fund some 250 initiatives in 120 countries.

"Each day, each hour, each minute, a woman in the world is a victim of violence," said Wirth. "Taking this simple step, signing on to the campaign, sends the message that enough is enough and the cycle of violence must stop now."

For more information about the campaign visit www.sayNOtoviolence.org or www.unfoundation.org.

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About UNIFEM
UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. Placing the advancement of women’s human rights at the centre of all of its efforts, UNIFEM focuses its activities on reducing feminized poverty; ending violence against women; reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls; and achieving gender equality in democratic governance in times of peace as well as war. More information: www.unifem.org

About the United Nations Foundation
The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems and also works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity. For a complete listing of UN Foundation grants and programs or to learn more about the United Nations Foundation, visit www.unfoundation.org.

Press Contact
Katherine Miller
(o) 202.778.1622
(c) 202.247.7280
(e) kmiller@unfoundation.org

Nanette Braun
(o) 212-906-6829
(c) 917-6671696
(e) nanette.braun@unifem.org

They are only at about 20,000 right now, so send the info to those who you know would sign up!