"We are proud to honor Carrie Auer and Frida Giannini with the inaugural UNICEF Women of Compassion Awards,” said U.S. Fund for UNICEF President and CEO Caryl Stern. “Carrie and Frida’s commitment to UNICEF's mission to do whatever it takes to save the lives of children demonstrates the very inspiration behind the creation of this special award.”As Creative Director of Gucci, Frida Giannini has championed social responsibility by designing specific products and collections that have generated both funds and awareness for UNICEF's humanitarian mission and initiatives as well as developing high profile communications campaigns involving the celebrity friends of the brand. In November 2009, Giannini traveled with UNICEF to Malawi to see first-hand how Gucci's long term support for UNICEF is making a difference in the lives of thousands of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Giannini visited schools, a care center for orphans and a hospital and reaffirmed Gucci's on-going commitment to assisting these essential UNICEF programs.
“I am honoured to receive this Award on behalf of Gucci and all of our customers around the world, who have supported our campaigns and activities to benefit UNICEF over the last six years,” said Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini. “We believe that every child has the right to an education, because an education is forever, and through UNICEF's Schools for Africa initiative, we hope to help disadvantaged children who may otherwise not have the chance to go to school.”
Since the partnership began in 2005, Gucci has committed more than $9 million to UNICEF under the direction of Giannini to support UNICEF’s life-saving treatment, care and prevention programs for orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi and Mozambique. Actress, recording artist and UNICEF advocate Jennifer Lopez, presented Giannini with the Women of Compassion Award at the event.
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF also presented the Women of Compassion Award to Carrie Auer, UNICEF Representative in Malawi. Auer has been serving as UNICEF Representative for Malawi since December 2008. Before this recent appointment, she served as Representative for the Republic of Albania since January 2004. In this capacity, she has been responsible for the overall implementation of the country programs including planning, coordination and evaluation of a broad range of UNICEF programs, both developmental and humanitarian benefiting women and children in the country. Auer joined UNICEF in May 1998 as Project Officer, Education in New Delhi, India where she worked toward financing elementary education and building intersectoral networks with child labor, health, development and nutrition programs.
