UN Women for Peace Annual Awards Luncheon
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” Fran Drescher began her speech quoting Eleanor Roosevelt at the UN Women For Peace Association Awards Luncheon. The annual celebration took place at the elegant Casa Cipriani in Manhattan on the afternoon of May 3rd.
Violence against women and girls is a global humanitarian issue. The UNWFPA’s Awards Luncheon bought awareness and action to this important cause. The funds raised will benefit UNWFPA global campaigns to combat domestic violence, human trafficking and child exploitation.
Irena Laks and Margo Langenberg
Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, A21’s Christian Elliott, activist and philanthropist Joanne King Herring, Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub, and Kevin Hyland OBE were honored by UN Women For Peace Association (UNWFPA).
The Honorable Joanne King Herring and Susan Gutfreund
The beautiful weather made for a good turnout with the Luncheon Co-Chairs H.E. Sheikha Paula al Sabah, H.R.H. Princess Camilla of Bourbon of Two Siciles, Duchess of Castro, Susan Gutfreund, Leila Heller, Francine LeFrak, Pat Kerr Tigrett, and Regional Chairs include Countess Bérengère de Pontac, Genesis Jones, Annie Joubran, Youngsong Martin, Melissa Metz, Suzan Lee Park, Dr. Christina Rahm-Thomas, and Clayton Thomas greeting everyone over cocktails in the sunny reception and open bar.
AnnaLynne McCord
Reagan and Doug Bauer, Rita Cosby, Amanda Diaz, Kat Graham (award presenter), AnnaLynne McCord with Benjamin W. Decker, Denise Schwartz and Marc Rosen, Barbara Tober, as well as UNWFPA Board of Directors Michal Grayevsky (Treasurer), Valbona Neritani, and Anne Marie Dougherty turned out to support the US nonprofit organization’s campaign goals.
The lovely Rosanna Scotto hosted the celebration,“As a reporter and co-host of FOX 5’s, Good Day New York, I have been lucky enough to be able to use my platform to highlight women’s stories. We have a mission to make sure that women can achieve the equality they deserve. This year’s Awards Luncheon is to celebrate the life and legacy of a strong woman who always fought for equality; UNWFPA Founder, Dame Muna Rihani Al-Nasser.”
The celebration honored the life and legacy of UNWFPA Founder, Dame Muna Rihani Al-Nasser. UNWFPA President Rema DuPont presented a posthumous Legacy Award for Muna, accepted by her husband and biggest supporter, H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al- Nasser, with their son, Aziz Al-Nasser in the audience. “UN Women for Peace Association will continue to support women and girls with our new Muna Rihani Al-Nasser Scholarship Fund for educating at-risk and underprivileged girls,” shared Rema.
Barbara Tober and Pat Kerr Tigrett
Dame Muna Rihani Al-Nasser’s husband tearfully accepted the award on her behalf and recalled her commitment to the cause proactively making calls with her laptop in bed towards the end of her brave life.
Christian Elliott and Rema DuPont
Actress, SAG-AFTRA President and survivor Fran Drescher made the keynote address, “I became a victim of violence when I was raped at gunpoint in my own home by a man I did not know, who was out on parole. But I was one of the lucky ones, because I lived to identify my assailant and see him sentenced to 150 years in prison. Still, for a year afterwards I felt like a mirror image of myself that was cracked in a thousand pieces. But connecting to one’s trauma, turning pain into purpose, and time are all healing. I am a survivor!”
Elliot is Global Development Officer of A21, Christian Elliott received the Media Award for his heroic efforts to end modern-day slavery. Elliot created the global campaign to combat human trafficking, entitled Can you see me?.
Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub received her award for generosity. The woman boss received the Humanitarian Award for her outstanding achievements in rescuing over 500 girls, and their families, by bringing them safely from Afghanistan to Portugal.
Denise Schwartz and Marc Rosen
The dazzling, ageless activist and philanthropist Joanne King Herring is more fascinating and dynamic than the character played by Julia Roberts in Charlie Wilson’s War. The Honorable Joanne King Herring received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding achievements and years of work to end human trafficking and for helping survivors, which are disproportionately women and children.
Ambassador Rosemary A. DiCarlo received the Leadership Award for her decades of work as a peacekeeper and an advocate for women’s rights. In 2018 DiCarlo became the first woman to assume the position of Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs at the United Nations.
Kat Graham
Kevin Hyland OBE received the Advocacy Award for his remarkable contributions to ending violence against women and girls everywhere. Hyland dedicated over 30 years to public service, including leading London’s Human Trafficking Unit.
Wendy Moten
The distinguished honorees, speakers, entertainers and guests tucked into a lunch of arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado, sliced Wagyu loin steak au jus served with roasted fingerling potatoes and vegetables followed by a decadent tiramisu in a dark chocolate cup. Though the luncheon focused on pressing humanitarian issues the conversation was uplifting with performers interspersed among the presentations. Somewhere Over the Rainbow was powerfully sung by The Voice finalist Wendy Moten. Country star Drew Aldridge sang his original composition inspired by his wife, She’s Somebody’s Daughter.
Drew Aldridge
President Rema DuPont announced a campaign, “Over 94% of violence against women stems from men, which affirms our belief that the solution does too. That is why we are launching a new campaign called Counting On Men — as we believe without addressing men and boys, we will not make progress on the issues related to violence against women and girls.”
Since COVID-19, reports of domestic violence has risen up 75%. One in three women globally experience domestic violence. Human trafficking is a pandemic. Every thirty-seconds a child is trafficked. During the past two years, the pandemic and extensive lockdowns exposed vulnerabilities in so many areas, but most especially in relation to the dramatic increase in violence against women and children. The UN Women For Peace Association Awards Luncheon supports the empowerment and protection of woman and girls.
