MEDIA ADVISORY: Vital Voices 22nd Annual Global Leadership Awards Comes to Kennedy Center October 25

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:04:00 +0000
Press Releases

Sec. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Philanthropist & Fashion Designer Diane von Furstenberg, Queen Latifah’s Queen Collective, Marketing Hall of Famer Bozoma Saint John, Actress & Social Justice Humanitarian Ashley Judd, and more to take part in the award-winning global event that celebrates women leaders.

Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Wednesday, October 25, Vital Voices Global Partnership will host the 22nd Annual Global Leadership Awards to honor women leaders who have embraced the ‘*Power of Possible*.’ This year’s 2023 honorees are five trailblazing women whose life’s work revolves around advancing gender equality, social justice, and creating solutions to build a safer, more sustainable world.

*Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton*, a Vital Voices co-founder, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

*Ava DuVernay* has been named the *Global Trailblazer Award* recipient for her work as a social impact filmmaker who celebrates and explores themes of human rights and racial equity. Climate activist and social entrepreneur *Inna Braverman*, Gender-based Violence Activist *Hellen Lunkuse*, Disability Rights Activist *Sara Minkara* and Sudanese Human Rights & Peace Activist* Enass Muzamel*, will be recognized for their steadfast commitment to solving the world’s greatest challenges surrounding climate, gender-based violence, and disability rights.

In addition, Vital Voices will premiere its 2023 honoree films created through its new female filmmakers initiative, DirectHers Cut. DirectHers Cut is Vital Voices’ latest move to scale leadership opportunities for women globally by harnessing the talents of women producers and directors to drive the storytelling narrative of the women leaders being honored. This year’s honoree films were produced by members of the *Queen Collective*, a program supporting multicultural women and non-binary directors developed in partnership with Procter & Gamble, *Queen Latifah* and Flavor Unit Entertainment.

*What:*

Vital Voices 22nd Annual Global Leadership Awards

*Where: *

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566

*When:*

6:30 pm ET Press Check-In Begins
7:30 pm ET Awards Presentation
9:00 pm ET Interview Availability & Post-Event Reception

*Who:*

Keynote Speaker:

Vital Voices Cofounder, *Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton*

Special Guests:

Grammy & Emmy Winning Composer, Songwriter, Producer, & Pianist *Emily Bear
*Author of “Unmasking AI” & star of “Coded Bias” on Netflix *Dr. Joy Buolamwini
*Social Impact Filmmaker *Ava DuVernay
*Philanthropist and Fashion Designer *Diane von Furstenberg
*Author, Actress & Social Justice Humanitarian *Ashley Judd
*NBCUniversal’s Chief Content Officer *Donna Langley*, D.B.E.
Co-anchor of PBS NewsHour *Amna Nawaz
*President and CEO of Vital Voices *Alyse Nelson
*Marketing Hall of Famer, Author & Entrepreneur *Bozoma Saint John*

*The Global Leadership Awards Honorees are: *

*Inna Braverman**
*Inna Braverman, founder and CEO of Eco Wave Power, is a technology entrepreneur who is harnessing ocean wave power to produce clean energy and fight climate change.

*Ava DuVernay**
*Ava DuVernay will receive the 2023 *Global Trailblazer Award* for her work as a social impact filmmaker who celebrates and explores themes of human rights and racial equity through cinema, using her art as activism to advance American society – and the world.

*Hellen Lunkuse**
*Hellen Lunkuse is a fearless human rights defender who supports survivors of gender-based violence and advocates for marginalized communities in Uganda. She is founder of the Rape Hurts Foundation, a non-profit serving women, girls and diverse populations in Uganda.

*Sara Minkara**
*Sara Minkara, who went blind at the age of 7, is a pioneering advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She is our nation’s highest-ranking disabled diplomat as a presidential appointee serving in the role of Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. State Department.

*Enass Muzamel**
*Enass Muzamel is a pro-democracy activist and women’s rights advocate who is leading critical relief efforts to support women and girls affected by gender-based violence and the ongoing war in Sudan.

To cover the event, the media can REGISTER FOR PRESS CREDENTIALS.
Interviews will be available upon request at: media@vitalvoices.org.

#vitalvoices #powerofpossible #globalleadershipawards

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*About Vital Voices Global Partnership
*Vital Voices Global Partnership was cofounded in 1997 by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and the late Secretary Madeleine Albright. Now celebrating 26 years, Vital Voices has directly invested in more than 20,000 women leaders across 185 countries and territories since its inception. Driven by the universal truth that women are the key to progress in their communities and nations cannot move forward without women in leadership positions, Vital Voices has provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, award-winning innovators, pioneering human rights defenders, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs, including Amanda Gorman and Malala Yousafzai. In an effort to advance and expand this work, in 2022 Vital Voices opened the doors to the world’s first global embassy for women, the Vital Voices Global Headquarters for Women’s Leadership. It is a first-of-its-kind space that allows for convening, innovation, planning, and action—all in the pursuit of serving women leaders who are taking on the world’s greatest challenges.

Find Vital Voices Online:

Facebook: facebook.com/vitalvoices
Twitter: @vitalvoices
Instagram: @vitalvoices
LinkedIn: Vital Voices Global Partnership

*Attachment*

· Secretary Hillary Clinton

CONTACT: Markette Sheppard
Vital Voices
media@vitalvoices.org