As ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, it's safe to say actress Angelina Jolie is no stranger when it comes to activism and humanitarian work abroad.
To mark World Refugee Day, the mother-of-six visited the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and met with at least 20 refugee girls currently living in a safe house for women, having fled sexual and gender-based violence.
Speaking at the International Peace Support Training Centre, Jolie said: 'Over half of all refugees and displaced people worldwide are women and children.
'How we treat them is a measure of our humanity as nations,' she added, according to UNHCR.
According to a statement from the UNHCR, the young women Angelina met with are now all part of the Heshima Kenya's Girls' Empowerment Programme - an initiative that works to provide them with education and practical skills to help them become self-reliant. Many of the girls have previously given birth after being raped, or are currently pregnant.
'On World Refugee Day my only ask is that people consider the pain and suffering of young girls like these.
'Not only have they had to flee extreme violence or persecution, lost everything and witness the death of family members, but they have also had to face so much abuse and intolerance and hardship,' she added.
Jolie's visit marks the actress' third trip to Kenya, which is home to approximately 491,000 refugees from neighbouring South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and several other regions, according to UNHCR reports.
In 2012, Jolie worked with former Foreign Secretary Lord William Hague to launch the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) with the aim of ending sexual violence in war zones, ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice and ensuring better support for survivors around the world.
'The reality is that women and girls, as well as men and boys, can still be raped with near-total impunity in conflict zones around the world. On behalf of victims of sexual violence, I want to plead with all of you to take this issue seriously and personally, to use your position and your influence to spread this message within your armed forces and on all the missions on which you serve,' she added.
Could the woman be any more inspiring?
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
