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 Nicole Kidman: Highlights issues on violence against women
Bringing a splash of Hollywood glamour to Capitol Hill, Australian movie star Nicole Kidman has testified before the lawmakers as part of her effort to stop violence against women throughout the world.
Sources have highlighted on this news on Nicole Kidman. According to them Kidman, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), told Congress on Wednesday that violence against women and girls was "perhaps the most systematic, widespread human rights violation in the world.
The actress added,"I am far from an expert, I rely on the people I've met to make the case," . She went on saying that it "recognizes no borders, no race or class."
Representatives at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee have been hearing testimony as they debate the International Violence Against Women Act, which could influence US foreign policy in relations with countries where women's rights are not respected.
Nicole Kidman said that systematic rape in ethnic conflict, forced marriage at an early age and domestic violence required treatment "not with a box of band aids but with a comprehensive, well-funded approach that acknowledges that women's rights are human rights."
Kidman, who once starred in the controversial Lars von Trier film "Dogville" as an on-the-run woman who was repeatedly raped, was asked by one representative whether Hollywood could be accused of legitimizing violence against women, the actress replied,"Probably so, but it has also contributed to solutions."
She described her work with UNIFEM as "incredibly inspiring" and vowed to continue working for "the rest of (her) life."
During the hearings, NGO representatives said one in three women worldwide have been victim of rape or beating at some point in their life. She further informed that over half of the world's sexual assaults are committed against girls younger than 15.
In the United States, 89,000 cases of rape were reported last year.
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News / Gossips by m.vanolst
