The star-studded affair was launched by a group trying to stop the rape of women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their aim is to raise awareness in the United States, which it said could be critical in ending violence against women.
Dr. Mukwege, the honouree of the night, said the V-Day campaign began 10 years ago after he treated rape victims. He estimated the number of women and girls raped at between 400 000 and 500 000.
The campaign will be taken to four other American cities — New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. — to expose the devastating impact of rape on Congolese women.
16 Comments
I just have never understood the buzz around Anne Hathaway. She’s not terribly attractive…has an awful nose, and isn’t a very good actress. So, what gives?
Ohmigod. Its official: Jessica Alba is not hot anymore. For someone famous for being smoking, she is ooooout.
#1 - The difference is she can act. She has great range which she showcases in her Oscar nominated performance Rachel Getting Married. Charlize, Rosario and Kerry Washington look great and are just as talented as well. Alba is the odd woman out here. Still waiting to see her showcase her acting chops. Nothing she’s done thus far has really stood out or been very interesting, in my opinion.
Why is Alba in that company???
To support a good cause a$$hole. The conflict in the Congo is the worst since World War II and 2/3 of women in Eastern Congo have been raped. That’s a massive number. Even though hollywould chooses causes that are the trendy at the mokent this is one cause that no one pays attention too so I’m glad so many women (famous or not, “talented” or not) are supporting the work that dr. Mukwege and Panzi Hospital does. And the work that Eve Ensler and V-day org. does.
To support a good cause maybe? Listen, the conflict in the Congo is the worst since World War II and 2/3 of women in Eastern Congo have been raped. That’s a massive number. Even though hollywould chooses causes that are the trendy at the mokent this is one cause that no one pays attention too so I’m glad so many women (famous or not, “talented” or not) are supporting the work that dr. Mukwege and Panzi Hospital does. And the work that Eve Ensler and V-day org. does.
lacey, WTF do you know about WWII to compare it to anything?
I’m a history major and my grand father died in WWII smartass….
I also know that 6 million people have dies in the Congo in the past 12 years…. making it the deadliest conflict since WWII. Anymore questions?
*died
alba is so orange, yuck and i’m not feeling the bangs on her.
alba looks nasty.
“Lacey”,the reality of the situation is that things are so bad in Africa that small organizations trying to send money and help out are just pissing into the wind–the ONLY way to help those poor devils is at a massive political level with many many of the worlds developed nations becoming heavily envolved–anything else is just wishful thinking and us trying to make ourselves feel good–but of no real value to Africa–the problems are just too huge . At this point I would say that not much will happen in our lifetimes; the problems are that overwhelming….
I feel you Mike. These “feel good” events, especially in Hollywood are not going to “end” the violence in the DRC or anywhere else in the world but the organizations behind this event in particular is doing phenomenal work. Dr. Mukwege started the only women’s hospital in the Congo and he was the first doctor to perform fistula operations to help women who’s genitals have literally been torn apart. He trained his fellow doctors to perform this same complex surgery and though these events will not end rape against women, they can raise awareness and Dr. Mukwege can get the word out about the necessity for the US to act and more importantly, to stop supporting countries such as Rwanda ad Uganda, that continue to invade the Congo for it’s natural resources. As much as these benefits in the US can be a nice “pat-on-the-back” for many people who come out to the shows and conferences, Eve Ensler spends a lot of time in the congo making sure that the money they raise is helping women directly. When armed groups attacked Panzi Hospital, she made sure that money was poured into the effort to reinforce security and to replace lost medical equipment.
You’re right, real CHANGE needs to happen on a LAAAARGE political scale but until that happens, there is still a lot of work that people on the ground and here in America can do to keep as many women and children as safe as possible. The more people know about the issues in the Congo, the more people can get involved in efforts to demand big changes.
awesome interchange of ideas! No republican cheap talk here!
Just what I thought. Lacey, you don’t know much.
said by an anonymous coward with no input, rebuttal or differing opinion of their own….. LOL