F4D's Leading Ladies Luncheon
in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, & Malaria at the St. Regis Hotel, NYC
The first Leading Ladies Luncheon event took place on November 10, 2015, in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the St Regis Hotel in New York City. The event marked the formal announcement of Ms. Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi as F4D’s Special Envoy for Human Rights.
Held in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, F4D’s first Leading Ladies Luncheon aims to raise awareness of the devastating and disproportionate impact of HIV on women and girls. The Leading Ladies Luncheon is an intimate gathering of influential female figures committed to making a difference to the lives of women and girls affected by HIV, through an exchange of creative ideas and determined commitments.
Globally, HIV is the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age worldwide and alarmingly, in the hardest hit countries, girls account for more than 80 percent of all new infections among adolescents. While major advances have been made against the disease, ending the AIDS epidemic for good requires a stronger focus on one of the major drivers - gender inequality.
Honorary guests received special recognition for their work during the event
Participants also had the opportunity to voice their support for women and girls by joining Julia Gillard, Graca Machel, Charlize Theron, Diane Kruger and the First Ladies of Namibia and Zambia, and contributing short filmed statements of support filmed during the event.
Statements of Support for Women & Girls
The Global Fund raises and invests nearly US $4billion a year to support programs designed to accelerate the end of the three diseases as epidemics, saving millions of lives every year. In September 2015, the Global Fund launched ‘End it. For Good’, a campaign to support its 5th round of funding. Central to the campaign, is a call for the world to unite efforts for a better, healthier future for women and girls around the world.
