Nicole Kidman receives Humanitarian Award

Nicole Kidman has received the Humanitarian Award of the Kuwait-America Foundation for her work on behalf of women around the world.

“I gratefully accept this award on behalf of a rather large group of people: the women of the world,” said Nicole Kidman at the Foundation’s benefit gala dinner in Washington. “As the Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women, I have seen that there is no limit to what women can achieve when given the opportunity.”

”This is why UN Women puts strong emphasis on women’s economic security and political participation. Women need to be able to take the decisions that shape their lives and their societies. Economic autonomy means greater independence in all aspects of life: it helps women to feed their families and send their children to school so that they can get a proper education for a better future. Having an income can also provide a way out of a violent home. Working with UN Women, I have learned about the horrific scope of violence against women around the world and seen its devastating impact.”

Nicole also accepted a donation of $250,000 from the Kuwait-America Foundation for a UN Women initiative in one of Jordan’s poorest rural areas to enhance women’s economic empowerment.

Despite major improvements in women’s access to education, social status and citizenship, women’s economic participation remains low in Jordan and has been trailing behind most countries at the same socio-economic level.

Statistics from 2009 indicate that merely 14.9 per cent of the Jordanian female populations over 15 years are economically active compared to 64.8 per cent of males.

About 20 per cent of Jordanians live in rural areas where poverty is more prevalent than in urban areas. Some of the most vulnerable groups of women, excluded from economic participation, are those living in the areas classified as “poverty pockets” by the Government.

One of the poorest governorates in Jordan is Al-Mafraq, with a total population of 281,000 and a poverty rate of 31,9 per cent .

“I know that these women will make a difference not only for themselves, but for their families and societies”, said Nicole Kidman. ”Thank you for making this possible.”