"Violence robs women and girls of their full potential, causes untold human suffering and has great social and economic costs."

— Vice President Joe Biden

Vital Voices Global Partnership and the Avon Foundation for Women hosted an evening reception Tuesday, March 9 in Washington, D.C., to honor three courageous men who have dedicated their lives to treating, preventing and ending violence against women.

Emceed by CNN’s Candy Crowley, the evening featured advocates including V-Day founder and playwright Eve Ensler, and served as a tribute to valued partners in the global campaign to end violence against women — men who stand up and speak out to create a better world for us all.

Eve Ensler paid tribute to: 

Dr. Denis Mukwege — the founder of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, where he treats survivors of sexual violence and trains nurses, midwives and doctors to provide for women in desperate need of maternal care.

Vital Voices Global Leadership Network members Marina Pisklakova-Parker and Somaly Mam paid tribute to:

Luis CdeBaca — Ambassador-at-Large of the U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, in charge of coordinating U.S. government efforts internationally to end the practice of modern day slavery that disproportionately affects women around the world.

Vital Voices Senior Director of Human Rights Cindy Dyer paid tribute to:

Stephen Lewis — former UN Ambassador and Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, has dedicated his career to advancing equality and has been a driving force in the campaign to create a new and streamlined UN agency devoted exclusively to women.