Sophie Wessex honoured by Hilary Clinton for advertising women’s rights

Sophie Wessex was honoured these days by Hillary Clinton as an ‘extraordinary trailblazer’ for doing the job to endorse women’s rights.

The Countess, 57, is was recognised for her get the job done campaigning against sexual violence in conflict zones at the annual Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards ceremony.

The occasion took position at The Georgetown Institute for Women of all ages, Peace and Stability in Washington DC, with the Countess, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and the Uk and Ukrainian ambassadors to the US in attendance. 

Through her speech the royal was brought to tears, contacting it ‘a first’ for her, as she spoke about the get the job done that she has been executing in the field 

Sophie Wessex (centre) was joined on phase by Hilary Clinton (proper) as Georgetown University president John J. De Gioia (remaining) presented her with the yearly Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards

The stylish royal opted for a fashionable leather-based skirt and white blouse to fulfill Hilary, 75, who surprised in a fuchsia coat 

The Countess has been recognised for her function campaigning from sexual violence in conflict zones

The compassionate royal laughed off her tearful interlude and carried on with poise, winning the hearts of the audience.  

Sophie looked gorgeous in an off-white blouse with significant sleeves, pinned in at the wrists. 

The attractive royal paired her ethereal shirt with a fashionable leather-based skirt, ending just over her ankles. 

She concluded her sophisticated look with a massive gold chain necklace, and statement hairdo. 

In the meantime Hilary, 75, stood out in a fuchsia pink coat and assertion gold necklace.

The two ladies ended up joined on phase by Georgetown College president John J. DeGioia who offered the award to the Countess. 

It comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dropped the next trailer for their bombshell Netflix documentary telling ‘their story’ about existence in the Royal family. 

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, speaks through the Hillary Rodham Clinton awards ceremony at Georgetown College in Washington

From remaining, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Girls, previous Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Britain’s Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Kateryna Levchenko, Commissioner for Gender Equality, Governing administration of Ukraine, Natalia Karbowska, Director on Strategic Enhancement, Ukrainian Women’s Fund, and Oleksandra Matviychuk, Human legal rights activist and Chair, Center for Civil Liberties

Sophie, Countess of Wessex is currently being honoured these days by Hillary Clinton as an ‘extraordinary trailblazer’ for aiding to advertise women’s rights

The awards are bestowed per year by the previous US Secretary of Condition for ‘exceptional management in advancing women’s legal rights and building a far more tranquil and safe entire world for all’. 

The Royal, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, is in the US on her second trip to there this calendar year, following she addressed the UN about violence towards gals in March. 

Sophie has been lauded by the awards as ‘a entire-time working member of the Royal Household and a patron of around 70 charities and organisations.’ 

She is not the only Royal becoming honoured this 7 days. Harry and Meghan are predicted to  attend the Ripple of Hope Award ceremony in New York, where by they will be honoured for their ‘moral courage’ by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organisation.

Harry and Meghan are envisioned to show up at the Ripple of Hope Award ceremony in New York, exactly where they will be honoured for their ‘moral courage’ by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Legal rights organisation 

Opening the awards ceremony currently, Mrs Clinton claimed that in Iran, Ukraine, Yemen and Tigray ‘women and ladies are caught up in conflict and are victims of horrific sexual violence.’

The previous US First Lady also highlighted the importance of knowledge women’s encounters of war and contributions to bringing peace.

‘Women are not just victims of war, they are brokers of peace,’ she explained.

She mentioned that people who engage in ‘systemic rape’ in warzones are ‘guilty of crimes towards humanity’ and ‘must be held to account’. 

The awards are bestowed every year by the former US Secretary of State (pictured last 7 days) for ‘exceptional leadership in advancing women’s rights and making a additional tranquil and safe earth for all’

She included that the Countess has ‘devoted her time to supporting the UN’s Females, Peace and Safety Agenda’. 

‘She has travelled to some of the most violent and hard conflict zones to satisfy with survivors and spotlight their demands.’

Sophie was honoured for her ‘service’ and ‘powerful advocacy inside the world-wide local community to assist survivors and deliver an conclusion to sexual violence’ as perfectly as for ‘providing hope to numerous who desperately want to have their lives back’.

The Countess spoke as she was presented with the award, and condemned the use of sexual violence as a ‘weapon of complete manage and fear’ in her speech.

‘Like chemical weapons it must develop into a little something that is reviled by the global neighborhood, it have to be some thing that is prohibited at the best degrees,’ she explained.

The Countess of Wessex with surgeon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege at a Panzi Healthcare facility, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, wherever she met victims of conflict-linked sexual violence and trauma in October this year

‘Too prolonged have survivors of rape in war had no voice, much too lengthy have they had to bare the burden of other people inaction on these crimes and also long have the perpetrators not been held to account.’

The Countess of Wessex is remaining celebrated together with four Ukrainian campaigners and leaders who have fought to uphold and advance women’s legal rights, such as the Initial Girl of Ukraine, Ms Zelenska. 

The British and Ukrainian ambassadors to the US, Dame Karen Pierce and Oksana Markarova, ended up also current at the ceremony. 

Sophie also joined Ms Zelenska at a important world convention in London last week to phone for an conclude to rape in warzones.

President Zelensky’s spouse instructed the Stopping Sexual Violence in Conflict summit that rape is staying made use of ‘systematically and openly’ by occupiers in her place 9 months soon after it was invaded by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

She reported that survivors are generally much too scared to testify all through wartime, including that Ukraine has obtained maintain of recordings of Russian troops openly discussing rape with family again household. 

‘This is an additional instrument that they’re working with as their weaponry. This is another weapon in their arsenal in this war and conflict. That’s why they are utilizing this systematically and openly,’ she told the convention.

The Countess of Wessex is staying celebrated alongside four Ukrainian campaigners and leaders who have fought to uphold and advance women’s rights, including the Very first Woman of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (pictured addressing MPs in Parliament previous week)

At the summit, the Countess of Wessex also described her expertise checking out hospitals for rape victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She praised health professionals there and explained that she hoped passing on her encounter conference survivors would help people to bear in mind their ‘humanity’. 

Sophie previously labored with the Georgetown Institute in March, as it co-hosted an event on Upholding Women’s Rights in Afghanistan with the Group of Mates of Ladies in Afghanistan and UN Ladies.

She has travelled to conflict places which include Kosovo, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone and others to ‘respond to the demands of surviviors as well as to deal with the stigma and pain that endure and do not diminish with time.’

‘She listens to their harrowing stories, is inspired by their willpower not to be defined by what’s transpired to them,’ the host of today’s award ceremony reported.

On Intercontinental Women’s Working day 2019, Sophie announced her motivation to champion the Females, Peace and Protection Agenda and the Protecting against Violence in Conflict Initiative, for which she has ‘provided active leadership’.

The Countess also travelled to New York previously this calendar year in her purpose as Global Ambassador of 100 Women of all ages in Finance’s Subsequent Generation Initiative.