NEW YORK, NY (November 2, 2009) — Women’s Campaign International (WCI) held its second annual fundraiser, “All the Difference in the World,” honoring those who support and advance the empowerment of women across the globe, Monday, November 2, 2009 at the Metropolitan Club in New York City.
Honorees at this year’s event included: US Vice President Joseph R. Biden. Jr., author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act; John Legend, six-time Grammy Award winner and founder of the Show Me Campaign; Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and co-author with her husband Nicholas Kristof of the new book Half the Sky; Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women Initiative, a five-year campaign to foster greater shared economic growth by providing 10,000 underserved women around the world with a business and management education; and emcee Mariska Hargitay, Emmy Award-winning actress and star of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The Vice President was introduced by his sister and WCI trainer, Valerie Biden Owens and discussed the invaluable importance that women bring to families and community development worldwide, as well as the Obama administration’s commitment to women’s empowerment both in the United States and around the world. Of WCI’s work worldwide, he said, “Because of your efforts, more women are realizing their value in their communities, more women are finding their voice, more women are leading the world. The empowerment of women will be the defining issue of the 21st Century.” A spirited live auction following Vice President Biden’s remarks raised $53,000 in ten minutes for women’s causes worldwide due not only the generosity of the crowd but the expertise of Eliza Osborne of Sotheby’s.
The event raised more than $200,000 which will help support WCI’s rapid response programming in post conflict countries to fund programs such as a safe house in Liberia for young girls who have survived rape and sexual assault. There, WCI works to support the young women so that they can get an education and begin to recover from their traumatic experiences.
“The work we are doing is not only essential to the countries we work in, but it is also essential for civil society to have women’s voices at the decision-making tables,” said founder and president of WCI, Marjorie Margolies. “WCI is so thankful for the amazing work our honorees have achieved for women worldwide.”
The evening’s activities were a testament to the generosity and social consciousness of its honorees and sponsors. Honoree John Legend said, “I am a true believer in the work that you’re doing… and I’m humbled and I’m honored to be in the presence of people who work so hard and do so much; it makes me feel I do so little… you really are doing such great work and I’m just honored to be among you. A lot of work is going to be done in the coming years, the coming decades, and sign me up, to be your friend, or anything else that you need, sign me up to be a part of it.”
