Ashley Judd has decided to lend her voice to the campaign against human trafficking, after she "stumbled upon" the issue while visiting brothels, slums and hospices in 12 nations to promote public health.
"I know that the unheard are helped when they are heard. I know that compassionate listening helps me, and my goal was to help the U.N. help them," the actress said at a news conference on Tuesday (June 3) at U.N. headquarters in New York.
Roughly 2.5 million people worldwide - most of them women and children - are thought to be victims of the $32 billion annual industry of human trafficking, according to U.N. figures.
Judd, a two-time Golden Globe nominee, has also used her celebrity to focus attention on HIV/AIDS prevention to young adults, as she has been serving as a global ambassador for education and prevention program YouthAIDS.
"I do think that all of the issues are fundamentally connected," Judd said. "They all spring out of gender inequality."
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Photo courtesy of Roadside Attraction.
