(logo courtesy of UNiTE)

Gooooood morning GBD!

Rosanna (aka superkurre) of Movie Madness Monday fame (she writes great reviews!) is working on the UNiTE campaign and was good enough to tell us about it.

UNiTE is a campaign launched in 2008 by the United Nations to end violence against women.  It calls upon everyone – governments, civilians, companies, the media, and the entire United Nations system – to join forces in bringing about the change we as a people are more than capable of achieving.

To achieve this goal, UNiTE is tackling the problem from a variety of angles.  Its main focus is to increase the public awareness, political will, and resources  necessary to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.  To help spread the word, the UN has also enlisted the support of celebrities:  it designated Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron a UN Messenger of Peace with a focus on ending violence against women.  You can watch an interview in which she talks about her UN appointment:

By 2015, UNiTE aims to achieve, in all countries:

• The adoption and enforcement of national legislation in line with international human rights standards
• The adoption and implementation of multi-sectoral national action plans
• Establishment of data collection and analysis systems
• Establishment of national and/or local awareness-raising campaigns
• Systematic efforts to address sexual violence in conflict situations

To join the campaign, follow UNiTE on Facebook or Twitter.  Let us know what you’re doing to help end violence against women and girls, and we’ll feature your story on the blog.

Thanks to Rosanna!  Who’s not only mad for movies, but for social justice as well.