The Half the Sky Movement aims to raise awareness of women and girls living under difficult circumstances all over the globe through a multimedia platform.

The founders, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of the book of the same name:  Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, have launched the first Facebook game with direct virtual to real-life translation.

Players will embark on a global journey which begins in India, and moves on to Kenya, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, ending in the U.S.The tasks and issues portrayed in the game all have a real-world equivalent in donations and social action opportunities. For example, players can collect books for young girls in the virtual world and then activate a real-life donation of books to Room to Read.

To play the game!

Planète Enfants organisation fights against sexual exploitation of women and children and work to socially reintegrate victims of trafficking. Sunita (20) and Tara Lama (18) arrived at the rehabilitation center of the association in 2012. They come from a 10-children family and lived in the Dhading district, two hours from Kathmandu. The family, farmers, was modest but all children were going to school. 

Sunita : « When I was in class 5, I fell sick and I had to leave school. I was told I had the tuberculosis and was given a very heavy treatment. I was tired, I stayed at home helping my mother for housekeeping. My sister Tara joined us as she was very sick too, she was epileptic. My parents were poor at Katmandou, my father used to repair watches and my mother used to sell grilled corn in the street. We needed money. I started to work in a dance bar and Tara too…Cap Nepal* organized in the city temporary relief camps for girls facing difficulties like us. We met people who proposed us to come to the centre ».

Tara : « We joined the workshop producing handbags, last January. I am happy to work here because I learn how to sew high-quality bags. Sunita and I have saved money and we are now renting a room out of the centre for one month. In May, we will go back to school on morning and work at the workshop on afternoon to earn our living. Then, I would like to go to high school to study. What kind of studies? I don’t know yet… high studies to be stronger. » 

The Kering Foundation is proud to support Planète Enfants. If you want to contribute to this project, you can raise funds! Get connected on Catapult, the first crowd-funding platform dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women.

* Partner of Planète Enfants

Since 2004, the SamuSocial Peru has been providing support services to women victims of domestic violence at Huaycán, substituting for the lack of public welfare services.

Due to the violence of the guerrilla until the beginning of 1990’s, Martha’s family ran away and settled down in Huaycán. The young woman stayed at the Samu Social centre and is still followed by the mobile staff. She testifies:

It began when I got pregnant, he used to come home drunk in the middle of the night and he slapped and kicked me. I was terrified. He was always watching me and prevented me from going at work. I stayed because he threatened to take out the children.    

They have suffered a lot from this situation, they have seen everything. Despite, I did my best so they can go to school and learn to read and write. The last time my husband stroke me, I went to the police, but they didn’t want to listen to me.   If the Samu didn’t exist, where would I have gone? They were the only ones who hosted me. They helped me going out of this situation and thinking about my children education. Mrs Beatriz (a Samusocial Perú educator) has always told me I could cope. Look at me and see where I am today! I run my own market stand and this man will never hurt me anymore.

The Kering Foundation is proud to support Samusocial Peru. If you want to contribute to this project, you can raise funds! Get connected on Catapult, the first crowd-funding platform dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women.

Gucci announced today that international superstar Jennifer Lopez will join Beyoncé at ‘The Sound of Change Live’ global concert at Twickenham on 1 June. The concert will be broadcast to millions across the globe. James Franco, Blake Lively and Jada Pinkett Smith were also announced to be among the presenters of this four-hour star-studded show presented by Chime for Change. Each ticket purchased will result in a donation to an NGO fighting for girls’ and women’s empowerment.

Frida Giannini, Creative Director of Gucci and Chime for Change Co-Founder, said:  “Thanks to Beyoncé and the amazing line-up of performers and presenters, the stage at Twickenham on 1 June will be filled with powerful voices of change who believe that girls and women everywhere deserve the right to be educated, healthy, safe and celebrated. This represents an important moment in the Chime for Change campaign, but it’s only the beginning. The funds we raise will have a major impact on the lives of thousands of girls and women around the world.” 

The concert will start at 5.30pm and finish at 10:00pm and each artist will perform special sets with some exciting collaborations expected…

The European Union launched last 6 March a public consultation - open until 30 May - to obtain your views on how best to develop measures at EU level to fight female genital mutilation.

Member States, civil society organisations fighting against violence against women or individuals are the target groups. A summary of the main outcomes of the public consultation will be published online.

To contribute to the consultation, please fill in the questionnaire.

To know more on female genital mutilations.