Concert in Support of the UNiTE Campaign at World Youth Conference
Youth cheering at the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Concert, World Youth Conference 2010, León, Mexico (Photo: UNIFEM)
26 August 2010
A number of musicians lent their support to the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign at a concert that concluded the Young Women’s Forum, organized by UNIFEM (part of UN Women) during the 5th World Youth Conference in León, Mexico on 24 August.
Performing at the concert were Debi Nova, a Costa Rican singer based in the United States; G-Town, a hip-hop group comprised of three Palestinian youths; and Pambo, a Mexican singer. The three acts represented different musical styles and regions, but all shared the message that the time had come to end violence against women and girls.
Inés Alberdi, the Executive Director of UNIFEM, and Nadine Gasman, the Director of the UNiTE campaign in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, delivered opening remarks at the concert, stressing the need to empower youth in the fight against gender-based violence.
The musicians performed in English, Arabic and Spanish, reflecting the diversity of the audience, who came from all corners of the globe to attend the World Youth Conference. At the end of each performance, the musicians were presented with the Chiuku prize of MTV Latin America, recognizing their commitment to the UNiTE campaign and highlighting the fact that they are agents of change who can promote betterment in their communities.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the statistics on violence against women and girls are alarming: nine countries of the region are among the eleven countries where the most murders of women are recorded. Worldwide, almost 50 percent of acts of sexual abuse affect girls younger than 16.
Among those attending the concert were Cesar Nùñez, the Regional Director of UNAIDS for Latin America; Magdy Martinez-Soliman, the UN Resident Coordinator in Mexico; and Ana Güezmes García, the UNIFEM Regional Programme Director for Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
At the end of the concert, UNiTE campaign workers, UNIFEM staff and representatives of other UN agencies got up on the stage to form a chain, lifting up a quilt which contained messages collected among the audience in response to the question what they could do to end violence against women. The quilt will be presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The Secretary-General launched the UNiTE campaign in February 2008, calling on governments, civil society, the private sector, mass media and the United Nations system to work together to prevent, punish and eliminate violence against women and girls.
For further information, please contact Indra Soria, indra.soria[at]unifem.org.
For more information about the UNiTE campaign in Latin America and the Caribbean, visit www.facebook.com/unetelac, www.twitter.com/unetelac and www.youtube.com/unetelac.
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