The global public-private partnership marks the ten-year anniversary and brings awareness to the issue of violence against children and youth
NEW YORK, September 13, 2019 —Together for Girls, a global public-private partnership dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence against children, with a focus on sexual violence against girls, will visit the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) MarketSite on Wall Street on Monday, September 16, to ring The Opening Bell in partnership with Becton Dickinson & Company (BD), a global medical technology company. The moment marks the tenth anniversary of Together for Girls, which was founded in 2009 by Gary Cohen, Executive Vice President of Global Health at BD and President of the BD Foundation.
“We are honored to have been invited by the New York Stock Exchange to ring The Opening Bell and bring awareness to the fact that we can — and must — take action to stop violence against children,” said Dr. Daniela Ligiero, CEO & Executive Director of Together for Girls. “From working in a handful of countries to more than 20 countries around the world, the Together for Girls partnership has made great strides in the past decade. But we remain as urgently committed as ever to raising awareness about the problem, promoting evidence-based solutions, and galvanizing coordinated action across sectors. Through partnership, we can break the cycle of violence and create a safer world for every child”
Gary Cohen and Dr. Daniela Ligiero will be joined at the opening ceremony by a variety of Together for Girls’ partners and allies, including the First Lady of Colombia, Maria Juliana Ruiz Sandoval; the UN Ambassador of Canada, Marc-André Blanchard; Dr. Jim Mercy, Director of Violence Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control; Dr. Lauren Rumble, Senior Advisor at UNICEF; and Michele Moloney-Kitts, First Executive Director of Together for Girls. Together for Girls Safe Heroes will also be present for the ceremony, including social activist and human rights advocate, Ilwad Elman; Project Director of the Nigeria-based Hacey’s Health Initiative, Isaiah Owolabi; and activist and author, Chessy Prout.
The NYSE will stream The Opening Bell ringing on its website: https://www.nyse.com/bell. The bell ringing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET.
About Together for Girls
Together for Girls is a global public-private partnership that works to end violence against boys and girls, with a special focus on ending sexual violence against girls. Founded in 2009, the Together for Girls partnership brings together national governments, UN entities and private sector organizations to prevent and respond to violence. To do this, the partnership uses a three-pronged model: data, action, and advocacy to promote evidence-based solutions, galvanize coordinated response across sectors, and raise awareness. Currently, Together for Girls works with more than 20 countries around the world.