Yousra Participates in a 16-Day Campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls

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Within her Role as a Goodwill Ambassador

Yousra Participates in a 16-Day Campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls


Within her role as a Goodwill Ambassador, actress Yousra participated in the opening ceremony of the 16-day campaign under the theme "Orange the World: #HearMeToo; End Violence against Women and Girls" at the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in collaboration with the United Nation (UN) team concerned with the issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Alongside Yousra, the events were also attended by Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States; Ambassador Mahmoud Afifi, Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the Arab League; and Tunisian star Dhafer L'Abidine.

Yousra was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations Development Programme in 2006. At a grand celebration held in 2016, the UN chose Yousra to be a Regional UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador as she has been known for her humanitarian work with marginalized groups and women in the Arab world, along with her participation in social activities with many civil society organizations.

The United Nations has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The day is recognized by women's rights activists as an opportunity to reject any act of gender-based violence since 1981. This date was selected to honor the Mirabal sisters, three female activists from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered in 1960 by orders from their country's ruler at the time. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, then, and in 2000, the General Assembly declared November 25 as the official day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The 16-day campaign runs from 25 November to December 10, representing international human rights days. Thus, this campaign links the elimination of violence with the promotion and protection of basic human rights.