The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) paid tribute to Goodwill Ambassador Catarina Furtado for “23 years of service” in the fight for “the rights of women and girls”.
“For over two decades, Katarina has been a tireless advocate for UNFPA and a global advocate for women and girls,” said the executive director of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency.
“We thank him for his enthusiasm, dedication and compassion and for the tremendous impact his efforts have had on the people we serve,” Natalia Kanem said in a statement released this Thursday.
UNFPA stressed that “as one of Portugal’s most prominent media representatives, Katarina has used her platform to tell the stories of women and girls to a global audience.”
Since she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000, Katarina Furtado has visited UNFPA programs in more than 10 countries, the statement said.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to spend the last 23 years with UNFPA. His mission runs through my veins, and the women he serves are my sisters, mothers, and daughters. Their stories and rights are my motivation,” she said. Catherine Furtado.
“From domestic violence survivors in Timor-Leste to female genital mutilation survivors in Guinea-Bissau, the UNFPA programs I visited fill me with confidence and hope,” said the Portuguese woman quoted in the statement.
Katarina Furtado was honored after speaking at the UNFPA Global Leadership Meeting in Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan.