Women For Women International 2012 Awards Gala
Article by Keen Lee
Photo by Francis Latif
On Thursday, November 8th, the Women for Women International Annual Gala took place at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center in New York City. Actress and Humanitarian Lucy Liu, Mistress of Ceremonies Gayle King, and longtime supporter and advocate for WfWI Ashley Judd attended the Gala that evening. With their support, Women for Women International works toward the continuous development of their programs, which provide women access to the resources and knowledge to a successful future.
WfWI works on a yearlong program that begins with a training stipend and emotional support to deliver the resources to women to rebuild their life. WfWI also helps participants acquire business and vocational skills, rights awareness, health education, social support networks, and access to income-generating activities to lead them a step closer to economic stability. WfWI has helped and reached out to more than 351,000 women in the past 20 years to rebuild their own lives and those of their families and communities after war. WfWI also raises global attention to the unique role that women play in advancing peace throughout society. WfWI operates in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
All proceeds raised at the event will go towards the mission of WfWI, whose yearlong program provides women survivors of war, civil strife, and other conflicts with the tools and resources needed to reach stability and self-sufficiency.
Lucy Liu, recipient of the 2012 Champion of Peace Award
Lucy Liu was honored the Women for Women International’s 2012 Champion of Peace Award. She is the ideal candidate for the award because as an Ambassador to UNICEF, she raises awareness of the plight of women and children in some of the world’s most impoverished countries, and strives to expose the horrors of the international child-trafficking industry.
Actress & Humanitarian Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu is an American actress, narrator, and film producer. She became popular for playing the role of Ling Woo who is vicious and ill-mannered in the television series Ally McBeal (1998–2002). She was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Liu’s career grew from that point on as she starred in several hit Hollywood films including Charlie’s Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda. In 2012, Liu was cast as the recurring role of Jessica Tang in the TNT original series Southland for which she won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Drama Guest Actress. She is currently playing one of the leading roles as Joan Watson in the CBS television crime drama Elementary, based on the story of Sherlock Holmes.
Longtime Supporter & Advocate of WfWI, Honorary Chair, Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, humanitarian and political activist. Judd is best known for her acting career for the past decade, but she has also become more involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism. Judd has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is, Dolphin Tale and High Crimes.
Gayle King
Gayle King who is co-host of “CBS This Morning” and Editor-at-Large of the award-winning O, The Oprah Magazine is the program host of the Women For Women International Gala.
WfWI CEO Afshan Khan & Francoise Tumukunde
At the Gala, Francoise Tumukunde of Rwanda was presented with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award. Tumukunde is a joint graduate of the WfWI and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program. She is currently a self-employed tailor and mother of three who is the only surviving family member of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
Roberta Flack
The Gala hosted a special performance by four-time Grammy Award-winning artist Roberta Flack. Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known for her Hot 100 #1 singles “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love”.
about Women For Women: www.womenforwomen.org
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Gorgeous Lucy Liu
Yaya DaCosta with her mother Orundun DaCosta Johnson.
Afshan Khan & Actress Lucy Liu
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