On Saturday a crowd of more than 60,000 people and millions watching live through broadcast partners MSNBC and YouTube, showed up in support of gender equality and ending global poverty at the fifth Global Citizen Festival, presented by Gucci and CHIME FOR CHANGE.
One of the highlights of the star-studded event was the debut of a short film from Academy Award-winning director and CHIME FOR CHANGE Advisory Board member Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, narrated by Madonna. This powerful film tells the story of Qandeel Baloch the Pakistani model, actress, activist and social media celebrity who was murdered by her brother on July 15, 2016, in a so-called “honor killing”.
The film was introduced by Global Citizen Founder and CEO Hugh Evans, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri, CHIME FOR CHANGE co-founder Salma Hayek Pinault and actor and advocate Jada Pinkett Smith, who highlighted CHIME FOR CHANGE and Global Citizen’s commitment to campaigning efforts in partnership with Equality Now to end honor killings in Pakistan.
“I think all of us need to honor the women who have been killed whose names we do not know by calling on all governments to punish all killers of women. The world that we want to leave our girls and our daughters must be much safer than the world we have inherited,” Ms. Obaid-Chinoy said.
Watch the film below.
Education Cannot Wait
Earlier in the evening, Ms. Hayek Pinault turned the spotlight on education in emergencies and support for refugee children.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand through my visits with UNICEF to refugee camps how important it is for [children] to have the possibility of an education and how much it motivates them and gives them hope. I’ve seen how education can change and impact the lives of these children who still dare to dream for a better future,” Ms. Hayek Pinault said. She then introduced Queen Rania of Jordan who announced new commitments to the Education Cannot Wait fund, a focus of CHIME FOR CHANGE and Global Citizen campaigning efforts.
The first Education Cannot Wait investments include $42 million to reach 1.5 million children in Chad, Syria, and Yemen with access to quality education over the next two years.
Facebook Live
Prior to the Festival CHIME FOR CHANGE, Gucci and Hearst Magazines, a founding partner of CHIME FOR CHANGE, hosted Facebook Live coverage from the red carpet. Zanna Rassi of Marie Claire and Chrissy Rutherford of Harper’s Bazaar interviewed the stars as they arrived, discussing their commitment to gender equality and the many issues facing girls and women around the world. Watch exclusive interviews with Jada Pinkett Smith, journalist and CHIME FOR CHANGE Managing Editor Mariane Pearl, Global Executive Director of Equality Now and CHIME FOR CHANGE Advisory Board member Yasmeen Hassan, Priyanka Chopra, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Chelsea Handler, Ellie Goulding, Demi Lovato and many more.
Watch exclusive clips from the red carpet: https://www.facebook.com/GUCCI/.
For more on CHIME FOR CHANGE, and to read and share curated personal stories on the rights of girls and women in health, justice and education visit www.globalcitizen.org/chime.