"Sometimes you find a cause, and sometimes the cause finds you" - Salma Hayek
I was perusing the gossip blogs, as I do in my down time here at work, and I saw this photograph of Salma Hayek. I was briefly annoyed, she had her adorable little bundle of joy – Valentina like 2 months ago – and now she's out looking gorgeous, tearing up the red carpet, posing for the paparazzi... I mean I've never given birth before, but I can't even pull it together like that after a vigorous walk, you know? But Hayek, who is known internationally for her acting, being gorgeous and as executive producer of ABC's quirky comedy UGLY BETTY, won my admiration when I read an article about her in Marie Claire magazine in back in 2002. (Yes I read Marie Claire in 2002, get over it.)
In 2004, Salma testified the following before the United States Senate:
"…I learned that a friend of mine was being beaten by her husband. Though I tried, I was not able to convince her to leave her husband – even though I knew, and she knew, what kind of damage domestic violence was causing her. At the time, I considered that a personal failure.
I was completely outraged – that women could endure such pain. I could not help my friend, but I decided I could help others. I visited domestic violence shelters and listened to the stories of other battered women. I saw the impact that domestic violence had on their children. I began to see why it was so hard for them to leave. So, in 2004, I joined the Avon Foundation in their campaign, Speak Out Against Domestic Violence.
Hayek's advocacy in support of victims of domestic violence began before she became the spokesperson for the Avon Foundation's campaign - Speak Out Against Violence.
She does not discuss the specifics of her friend's abuse, but it is clear how the story of Gladys Ricart affected her advocacy. Gladys Ricart was a 39 year old woman that was shot dead in front of her family by a former boyfriend who walked uninvited into her New Jersey home as the family was about to leave for her wedding. One of the first marches Hayek participated in surrounding domestic abuse was a planned silent march –March of Brides- to the US capital in rememberance of Ricart. The march included leaders and members from groups like Violence Intervention Program in New York, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the Dominican Women's Development Center, the legal clinic Ayuda Inc., and My Sister's Place, a women s shelter in Washington, DC.
"One of the dangers with this issue is that most of us say, 'That's not my problem.' In reality, it affects our whole society, because we are all connected."
Hayek has donated more than $75,000 to domestic violence shelters in her Mexican hometown, Coatzacoalcos, and its neighbor Monterrey. Her commitment to women transcends boundaries of race, nationality, age, or any other superficial divide.
Get Help: National Domestic Violence Hotline
Get Involved: www.avoncompany.com ">Speak Out Against Domestic Violence
