New York, USA - Hundreds of people gathered on a snowy and windy morning March 7, 2014, at the gates of the United Nations building and made their way in a march to Dag Hammarskjold Park carrying a 20-foot banner raising awareness about violence against women. The march was led by Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, wife of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and patron of UN Women for Peace.
UN Women for Peace, founded in 2008, aims at promoting and advancing the goals of UN agencies whose missions are to provide opportunities for women through social, cultural, educational and empowerment programs while partaking in a globalpeace building process. When women are educated, they empower their families, their communities and their generation.
UN officials who were represented included Lakshmi Puri, deputy director of UN Women; Ambassador Rosemary A. DiCarlo, U.S. deputy representative to the UN; Muna Rihani Al Nasser, chair of UN Women for Peace and wife of H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.
In addition, the UN Women for Peace hosted their annual March in March Awards Luncheon, held in celebration of International Women’s Day, in which UN ambassadors, celebrities and women came together to focus attention to end the pandemic of violence against women. World-renowned women and celebrities were awarded for their work for women. Notable speakers included model Naomi Campbell, actress Trudie Styler and philanthropist Cindy McCain. Universal Peace Federation was one of the major sponsors of these events.