Women Leaders' Council was created by the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) as an integral part of the organization, dedicated to the fight against trafficking in human beings. WLC established officially during the international conference – The Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking – held in Vienna on 13-15 February 2008.
To WLC has entered approximately 30 women leaders from around the globe, including personalities like Suzanne Mubarak, Dr. Margarita Cedeno de Fernández, Baroness Mary Teresa Goudie, Julia Ormond, Emma Thompson, Melanne Verveer and the President of the Foundation "Communication Without Barriers" – Jolanta Kwasniewska.
WLC task is to combat human trafficking, mainly by increasing public awareness, coordination of actions and development of international cooperation and action to reduce the stigmatization of victims of trafficking. WLC is to be a catalyst for raising the level of prevention, reducing the extent of trafficking, and increasing the punishment for this crime. Women leaders are to help establish cross-sectoral and international cooperation in order to activate the fixed assets, knowledge and expertise to fight with human trafficking in the world.
The Women Leaders’ Council created during The Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking 13-15 February, 2008, includes:
Dr. Aleya El Bindari Hammad, Member of Board of The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement
Ms. Anja H. Ebnöther, Assistant Director and Head Special Programmes of the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF)
Ms. Barbara Prammer, President of the National Council, Austria
The Rt. Hon. Baroness Mary Teresa Goudie, Member of House of Lords, UK
Ms. Doris Buddenberg, Senior Manager of UN.GIFT, UNODC
Ms. Elizabeth Rector, Senior Vice President of Lexis Nexis
Ms. Emma Thompson, Academy Award Winning Actress and Chair of The Helen Bamber Foundation
Ms. Eva Biaudet, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings
Ms. Evelyn Leopold, Independent International Journalist
H.E. Dr Getrude Mongella, President of the Pan-African Parliament
Hon. Dr. Ms. Helen Bamber OBE, Founding Member of Amnesty International and The Helen Bamber Foundation
H.E. Ms. Jolanta Kwasniewski, Former First Lady of Poland
Ms. Julia Ormond, Actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador
Ms. Katie Ford, Board of Directors and Former CEO of Ford Models
Ms. Louise Thérèse Blouin MacBain, CEO and President of LTB Group and Founder and Chair of the Louise T Blouin Foundation
Ms. Margaret Alva, General Secretary of Indian National Congress and Former Member of Parliament, India
H.E. Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, First Lady of the Dominican Republic
H.E. Ambassador Margarita Escobar, Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for Salvadorans Overseas, El Salvador
H.E. Ms. María Palacio, Former First Lady of Ecuador
Ms. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Member of the Board of The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement
Ms. Maud de Boer Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Ms. Melanne Verveer, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Vital Voices Global Partnership
H.E. Ambassador Moushira Khattab, Secretary General of the National Council of Childhood and Motherhood, Egypt
Ms. Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration
Hon. Ms. Renuka Chowdhury, Union Minister of State of Women and Child Development, India
Ms. Ruslana Lyzhychko, Eurovision Contest Winner and Former Member of Parliament, Ukrain
Ms. Sabrine El Hossamy, PR & Communication Director, Orascom Telecom
Dr. Saisuree Chutikul, Former Minister of Thailand
H. H. Shaikha Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, Queen of Bahrain
H.E. Ms. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt
Ms. Zohreh Tabatabai, Director of Communication and Public Information of the International Labour Organization
Ms. Vivien Creegor, Former BBC and Sky News Journalist and Broadcaster
More on this subject can be found on the website UN.GIFT: www.ungift.org
