Humanitarian, Hollywood powerhouse and Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees – Angelina Jolie Pitt certainly has a powerful global stage to raise awareness and drive change. And, that’s precisely what the 40 year old did at the biannual African Union Summit in Johannesburg as she spoke passionately of the need to put an end to sexual violence against women – the world over.
Focussing on the desperate need for world to address human rights violations and acts of violence that impact girls and women around the world, according to The Independent, Jolie Pitt said, “There is a global epidemic of violence against women – both within conflict zones and within societies at peace – and it is still treated as a lesser crime and lower priority.”
Image courtesy of Instagram
Addressing a group of delegates in the South African city including African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and British foreign minister William Hague, the actress and activist pleaded;
“Women and girls are bearing the brunt of extremists that revel in treating them barbarically. This is inextricably linked to our overall failure to prevent and end conflicts worldwide, which is causing human suffering on an unprecedented level.”
Jolie Pitt called for the need for action to start at an individual level and for the critical need to engage the global support of men to work alongside women in addressing these issues. She explained, “We need policies for long-term security that are designed by women, focused on women, executed by women. Not at the expense of men, or instead of men, but alongside and with men.”
The theme of this year’s summit was the “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development” and Jolie tackled it head on offering plans for how the issue should, and can, be tackled. Specifically calling for men to stand alongside women’s rights driving change and education from the individual level right through to global leaders.
Watch Angelina Jolie Pitt’s speech here…
Video courtesy of SABC Digital News via YouTube
Tell us your thoughts on Angelina’s plea for global action to stamp out violence against women around the world…. Join the conversation below…
