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Home › Politics

Politics | 11/26/2008 10:00 am

Kidman Uses Star Power to Fight Violence Against Women

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

Nicole Kidman is dead serious about women’s rights.

The actress commemorated yesterday’s International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women by presenting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with a list of more than five million people who signed on to the campaign. In addition, Kidman also held a press conference in which she explained her personal investment in the UN Development Fund for Women, with which Kidman’s been a goodwill ambassador for two years:

I think in some ways I’ve always been heading towards wanting to put some meaning into my life and this is probably how I see myself doing it.

The reason I chose the subject of women is because I was raised by a mother who was very passionate about … having her daughters educated, and wanted her daughters to have an equal opportunity.

I was the product of that, and now I’m out there hoping to pass on to the next generation and work in a greater capacity then just as an actress.

An elementary school reporter later inquired how women can learn more about domestic violence and, hopefully, protect themselves, to which Kidman replied, "It needs to be discussed in schools, and young girls and young boys need to be educated." 

Read more about: Ban Ki-moon, Domestic Violence, News, Nicole Kidman, rape, UN Development Fund for Women, United Nations

8 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Marjorie C.
“It needs to be discussed in schools, and young girls and young boys need to be educated.” A good place to start Nicole, would be to confront sexism in the media. When women like Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton can be hounded and bullied, ridiculed and derided, the message that women don’t count for much is quickly picked up by the children. Katie Couric baiting Sarah Palin is sad. What I’d like to see is a scenario that would put Katie in Sarah’s environment, and see what Sarah would do. Would Sarah be kind or would she let Katie freeze to near death. My guess is Sarah would be kind.
By Marjorie C. on 11/26/2008 10:48 am
k v
we’re trying to do just that…take a look (we’d love your opinion): www.trubeu.org
By k v on 11/26/2008 2:01 pm
Belinda Joy
Kidman replied, “It needs to be discussed in schools, and young girls and young boys need to be educated.” I think Nicole is wonderful in many aspects, but she’s off basis on this one. Our schools and teachers are already over burdened with dealing with issues that should not be within their control. We all want public schools to provide a better level of education to our kids, but far too many teachers have to contend with social issues that should not occupy their time. Kids coming to school dirty, hungry, beaten or abused. How can we expect a child to sit quietly and be attentive when they bring with them to class emotional baggage from their homes? I know of teachers who spend more time dealing with attempting to secure clothing for poor kids than they do working on their study plans. Teachers have so much on their plates that they didn’t have to deal with decades ago. It’s time for us to get back to a place where they are in place to teach and instruct only. All of the social services they have to provide should be taken out of their hands. The answer I would have given to the young reporter would have been that it begins and ends in the home. A trusted adult or neighbor would also be a great resource for help and guidance as well.
By Belinda Joy on 11/26/2008 3:25 pm
John G
It’s a world-wide paradigm that must be changed. Good for Nicole for speaking out. Just like racism or anti-gay, sexism is a scourge. Early exposure to alternative positions results in change. BTW: I was hoping there’d be a topic apropos to this… Man driving down road. Woman driving up same road. They pass each other. The woman yells out the window, PIG! Man yells back, BITCH! Man rounds next curve. Crashes into a huge pig in middle of road and died Thought For the Day: If only men would listen!
By John G on 11/27/2008 11:43 am
Sandbee (FB) 54
Good one John G. And while I wish I could agree with Belinda that the education should begin at home, and it’s great when it can, all too often the problems begin at home and that’s why the education has to come in the schools.
By Sandbee (FB) 54 on 11/30/2008 4:46 am
Eve Fulton
The problem with ‘No tolerence” is that kids who come from homes that have violence in them and act out at school are then kicked out of school and then a whole nasty cycle happens to them not only at home but on the street. Violence in the home is about i in 4 in Canda), it really is that high. I’m not talking just about physical violence there is emotional and verbal violence that can really take someone’s sense of self away and the damage goes on for years. School should make it part of the curriculum about what a healthy relationship looks like and what an abusive relationship looks like. Here in Toronto Canada we have great subway ads that show what verbal violence is like. I’ve got my student social worker talking to our homework club once a month about what relationships can be like and what an unhealthy one looks like. We also need better supports for parents and kids. The men that (yes I know it is not always men) that do the violence often come from horrendous backgrounds and need counseling as much as the woman. Better parenting and being emotionaliy connected to your kids would stop a lot of kids from ending up in or being violent in relationships.
By Eve Fulton on 11/30/2008 9:30 am
Frannie Em
merrell I have two boys. Both of them have been hit and kicked by girls. Girls will kick young boys in the groin and think it is funny. It is not. One girl used to get off of the bus and run up behind boys and clock them with her 20 lbs backpack, and think it was funny. Sometimes she would walk ahead of them, turn around quickly and kick them hard in the groin. They would end up on the ground. They don’t tell because then they are considered wimps, and most don’t hit them back. A neighbor told me what was going on because she lived near the bus stop. My boys were taught not to hit girls, and they don’t. Many girls will slap boys in the face for nothing because they think it is funny. It isn’t funny. I know this is not what he subject is, and definitely, violence against women must be stopped. Sometimes when we are watching movies, a scene will have women being hurt, and I always comment, “Oh, here it is, another violence against women scene” and then I get up and leave. I am sick of it. There is so much of it on the screen so I think that would be a good place to start.
By Frannie Em on 11/30/2008 11:47 pm