Nicole Kidman

Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman impressed us all with a really generous donation to UNIFEM. But, don’t think for a second she just spends money to help out good causes — she also physically takes a stand.

Yesterday, Kidman visited the United Nations headquarters in New York to announce that an astounding five million people have signed an internet-based petition for the “Say No to Violence Against Women” campaign, a part of UNIFEM, which works to provide financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality.

The actress and new mom said, “We thought that the more names we collected, the stronger our case to make ending violence against women a top priority for governments everywhere,” adding, “Well, the results are in. We’ve tallied the numbers from Bangkok and Tanzania, from Ecuador to Fiji, from Jordan to India. I am so delighted to announce that they have far, far, surpassed our goal.”

This is a cause that Kidman is obviously passionate about — I can’t wait to see what else she does for UNIFEM!

Photo courtesy of hollyscoop.com

I don’t think any of us harbored a doubt that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s baby girl wouldn’t want for a thing, and they’ve proved that to be true beginning with the nursery. They began with a crib from Q Collection Junior.

Fortunately for Baby Sunday, money isn’t really an issue for her mom and dad — the cribs in this line run around $1200. However, if peace of mind is priceless, that’s probably a good deal — Nicole can feel confident that her baby is sleeping in a crib made from only proven non-toxic materials and that it was made in a sustainable manner to keep the planet healthy and safe. As a matter of fact, Q Collection Junior’s motto is People Safe. Planet Safe.

Nicole and Keith aren’t the only celebrities digging Q Collection Junior — Gwyneth Paltrow is actually on the front page of the company’s website with a quote about how much she loves their products.

I imagine we can expect more green practices to surround Sunday — Nicole ordered organic linens, clothing, and toys earlier this year, and has spoken about how much she loves nature and organic gardening. You know, I can think of a line skincare products they might want to check out …

Nicole Kidman has always seemed like a great role model to me. I don’t know if it’s her poise in walking down the red carpet, her graciousness in interviews, or the way she can change her hair from wild and curly to pin-straight with a snap of her fingers (or at least that’s how I imagine she makes it happen), but I really admire her. And now, I admire her even more.

Recently, Kidman won significant libel damages from a British tabloid, and instead of blowing it on a shopping spree, she has planned to donate the entire sum to the United Nations Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM), for which Kidman has been a goodwill ambassador for nearly a year. She hopes to remain involved with UNIFEM for many years to come, saying, “When you’ve been blessed with a fortunate life, it is very much your duty to find the places where you can give back.”

UNIFEM provides assistance of many kinds to programs aiding women’s empowerment and gender equality in over 100 countries. It also works to make certain women’s causes are represented at the United Nations. Kidman has helped UNIFEM with its “Say NO to Violence Against Women” campaign, which urges people to add their names in order to get the issue of violence against women on the global agenda.

Progress is slow, and as long as there are women suffering violence but afraid to accuse their attackers, there is work to be done. You can help by adding your name before March 8, 2008, which is International Women’s Day and the official end of the Say No to Violence Against Women campaign.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com.