Free Women's Blog

No wonder that Angelina departed Cecconi’s with the cover of the “Half the Sky” book, highlighting it in her arms. As the Ambassador for the UN’s High Commission for Refugees, Jolie is promoting human rights and particularly women’s rights. It is worth note down that she is interested in a book about the education and lack of influence of the women of poor nations around the globe.

The “Half the Sky” according to a website that it is promoting it, is drawing attention on “… the world’s women and three major abuses: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rape; maternal mortality…” The authors and the book already have the support of Bill and Melinda Gates or George Clooney among others.

Jolie stated about the book that it …” shows that unimaginable challenges are often met with breathtaking bravery…”

Ashley Judd was putting her money where her mouth is.

Judd, a two-time Golden Globe nominee whose screen credits include “A Time To Kill” was spotted at the United Nations in New York City for a press conference regarding the ending of human trafficking.

“I do think that all of the issues are fundamentally connected. They all spring out of gender inequality,” she told reporters.

About 2.5 million people worldwide, nearly all of them women and children, are believed to be victims of the $32 billion annual industry of human trafficking, according to U.N. figures.

For More Facts

UN Office on Drugs and Crime: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/index.html