On September 25, Victoria Beckham delivered a speech about women in Africa after being appointed the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador.
The fashion designer skipped her store opening in London to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, during the UN General Assembly's 69th general debate. Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS, announced the news and granted the certificate of appointment to Victoria Beckham. Michel Sidibé was confident that the cooperation of such a well-known celebrity would help UNAIDS achieve its goals.
At the press conference, Victoria Beckham said her trip to South Africa few months ago, where she met mothers and children infected with HIV/AIDS, moved her deeply and made her feel like contributing more. "I've never ever met women so strong, so focused, so passionate. Women that want to help other women," she added, "It makes me realise I can be their voice. They can't be here today so I can be their voice, I can speak on their behalf."
Victoria Beckham and Michel Sidibé at UN press conference
This is the first time Victoria Beckham has officially served in any social capacity, however, she and her husband David Beckham, have been patrons of the Elton John AIDS Foundation for over 20 years.
"It's taken me to get to 40 to realise I have a responsibility as a woman and as a mother," she said, "For some reason people will listen to me. This is the beginning of an incredible journey for me." As a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, Victoria Beckham will attempt to help reduce the number of infants born with HIV, as well as improve access to medicine and healthcare services.
Beckham said that, after returning from the South African trip, she auctioned all of the her clothes for hundreds of thousands of USD and donated it to Mothers2Mothers, a group which supports women infected with HIV. She will return to South Africa and travel to other areas as the new UN ambassador.
Victoria Beckham first became famous with the pop band Spice Girls. After the group split up, she was known as a fashion icon in England and then fashion designer. She is one of the few female celebrities to collaborate with UN humanitarian efforts after Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and Nicole Kidman.
