DVF is proud to announce that the 5th annual DVF Awards will honor Gloria Steinem, Alicia Keys, Liron Peleg-Hadomi, Noha Khatieb, Kah Walla and Veronika Scott. Each woman will be recognized at a ceremony on April 4, 2014 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, and will receive a grant of $50,000 from the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation (DVFFF) to further her work at the organization with which she is affiliated. The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by Diane von Furstenberg and the DVFFF to honor and support extraordinary women who have had the courage to fight, the power to survive and the leadership to inspire. Women who have transformed the lives of others through their commitment, resources and visibility.
The DVF Awards are presented annually by Diane von Furstenberg and Tina Brown on the occasion of the Women in the World Summit. The People’s Voice Award winner is chosen by popular vote from four nominees who are working within the United States to better their communities. The winner of this year’s vote was Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan. Veronika developed her Detroit-based organization around a simple idea: making a coat that folds out into a sleeping bag, and distributing it to the homeless. She hires and trains homeless mothers to become seamstresses to make this coat, empowering them to escape the cycle of homelessness.
Two awards are given to women working within the Vital Voices network who, against the odds, are promoting tolerance and advancing the status of women in their respective countries. One award will go to Kah Walla, an entrepreneur and elected official from Cameroon who is known for her transparency and inclusivity, and is frequently cited as an example of the next generation of leadership in Africa. The other will go to Liron Peleg-Hadomi, a Jew, and Noha Khatieb, a Palestinian Arab, who are working together in Israel to create a new culture of peace by hosting discussions with Palestinian and Jewish women on such topics as developing cross-community dialogue skills and turning ideas into projects. These gatherings enable women to engage on an intimate level, and see each other simply as women.
The Inspiration Award is given to a woman who is using her experience and influence to effect positive change. Prior honorees in this category have been Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard and Natalia Vodianova. This year, the Inspiration Award will be given to 15-time Grammy ® Award winning singer/songwriter/producer Alicia Keys, who is using her world-famous voice to bring attention to the needs of children and families living with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India, and ensure they have access to the life-saving medication that is widely available in wealthier countries. Since 2004, her annual Black Ball, which benefits Keep a Child Alive, has raised over $22.6 million for this cause.
The Lifetime Leadership Award is given to an individual who has dedicated her entire life and body of work to instilling leadership, strength and courage in other women. Prior Lifetime Leadership Awards have gone to Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Robin Roberts. This year, Gloria Steinem will be honored for her dedication to feminism and equality of all kinds. Since 1969, Ms. Steinem has been leading the fight for women’s rights through her writing, lectures and activism. Ms. Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972, and has helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, the National Women’s Political Caucus, Voters for Choice, Choice USA and the Ms. Foundation for Women. She has been one of the most powerful voices in making women’s leadership possible in the United States.
“Each year we are humbled and inspired by the extraordinary women we honor at the DVF Awards,” said Diane von Furstenberg. “Our nominees this year are advancing human rights, women’s political and entrepreneurial leadership, world peace, the right to medical care for all, and the right for every person to be treated with the same respect. And we are only honoring 6 women! Their impact has been extraordinary and I am so proud to help share their stories. ”
The 5thannual DVF Awards ceremony will feature awards presentations by actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Meryl Streep, a live musical performance and speeches by Tina Brown, Diane von Furstenberg and all of the honorees.
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