United Nations Foundation President and CEO Kathy Calvin: Cathy Russell Will Elevate and Prioritize Women and Girls

Last night, Cathy Russell was confirmed for Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State. In response, United Nations Foundation President and CEO Kathy Calvin issued the following statement:

“Cathy Russell is a proven champion for women and girls globally. From her work on the landmark Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to her leadership role last year on the United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally, Cathy has more than 25 years of experience working to eradicate violence, promote gender equality, and advance the health and welfare of women around the world. She understands the importance of public, private and civil society partnerships to achieve results, and has had tremendous success in bringing together diverse organizations to work on these issues. In this new role at the State Department, Cathy is well-positioned to push for change for the world’s most vulnerable girls and women.

“At the UN Foundation, we believe that investing in girls and women has a multiplier effect, creating stronger families, communities and nations for generations to come. Therefore, women and girls must be at the heart of successful foreign policy. We know that with a strong leader like Cathy Russell, we can work toward a world where every woman and every girl can thrive with access to quality reproductive health care and education, and a life free from violence. We look forward to working in partnership with Cathy to make this a reality.

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About The United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.