Somaly Mam joins activist Eve Ensler, actress Reese Witherspoon, Dr. Denis Mukwege, Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca, journalist Judy Woodruff, and experts in the field for a global summit on violence against women.

The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women Summit, which is being held during the week of March 8th in Washington, DC, is the result of a partnership between Vital Voices Global Partnership, Avon Foundation for Women, and the US State Department. It is the first step of a coordinated effort to end violence against women through innovative solutions, the sharing of best practices, and co-ordination of strategies. The three-day summit will focus on the three most pervasive crimes against women: human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault, which includes rape as a weapon of war.

This event brings together the public and private sectors from fifteen countries for a series of panel discussions and working groups facilitated by leading journalists and activists. Sectors include business, government, law enforcement, the NGO community, media, and academia.

“It is time for governments to invest significant resources in a coordinated global effort to end all forms of violence against women. This summit is the right step forward and I am encouraged to see people like Dr. Mukwege, Eve Ensler and Ambassador CdeBaca joining forces as part of this public-private partnership. Together, we can create a world where women and their children no longer need to live in fear,” said Somaly Mam.

Bill Livermore, executive director of the Somaly Mam Foundation, said “We are thrilled that Somaly Mam is taking part in this important effort to end violence against women. As a survivor herself, she knows all too well the key role that survivors must play in creating effective, innovative solutions to the global tragedies of human trafficking, rape and domestic violence. The solution will take collaboration from all sides: government, nonprofits, private organizations, and individuals. We’ve seen the progress that can be made through our own partnerships with the Cambodian government, the UN and companies like The Body Shop and LexisNexis. This summit is an excellent example of that type of collaboration, and an important step toward ending the suffering of the millions of women and children who are victims of violence and the crime of modern day slavery.”