Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread hit the ground running during her recent five week trip to the USA, changing lives with her gentle yet powerful presence everywhere she landed. From New York to Atlanta to Hollywood and beyond, Ms. Mutale makes an entrance and a statement in any room and in every city. She enters with grace, poise and flair, donning fashionable international clothing, one time arriving at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles in a stunning outfit designed to look like the Zambian flag.
A philanthropist, humanitarian and human rights advocate, Ms. Mutale shares a message that empowers women of all ages around the world.
Her advocacy and empowerment of women and girls inspires everyone in her path. While in Atlanta she met with co-founder of POSITIVE RUNWAY Mambwe Janet Kamanga to further plan their Global FFMTT Awards, an awards show that recognizes talent in multiple areas of sports, television, music, theatre, film, and fashion. The Global FFMTT Awards is a gesture of goodwill by POSITIVE RUNWAY to thank, recognize, honor and celebrate special advocates from various industries who help spread the message to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other scourges that negatively impact today’s young generation.
Mr. Mutale traveled to Los Angeles in August specifically to address over 500 people at the Annual Awards Luncheon of the U.S. National Congress of Black Women at the Los Angeles Millennium Biltmore Hotel. While in California, she also brought greetings from Africa, at another awards event, personally handing out the awards to a distinguished list of recipients while also delivering a keynote address at the Anakazi African Business Women’s Conference held at the Radisson Hotel, Los Angeles.
Audiences clamor for the opportunity to hear Ms. Mutale speak, as her speeches are a perfect blend of quiet demeanor and powerful bold statements on the status of women globally.
Reacting to Ms. Mutale’s speech, Judy Matthews, Chair of the U.S. National Congress of Black Women, Los Angeles Chapter, wrote: “We find our selection for you to bring greetings from the “Motherland” an outstanding choice. You so eloquently kept the audience engaged throughout your presentation with historical and informative information. It could not have been presented in a more moving and beautiful manner! We thank you for continually leading by example and strengthening the path for our communities throughout the world. What an honor that you were part of our program!”
Days before her departure back to London, Ms. Mutale was appointed to yet another esteemed role as Honorary Ambassador for Gender Equality and Spokesperson for the International Women’s Think Tank and International Women’s Center (IWTT-IWC).
She will be the Official Spokesperson to promote Gender Equality, which is central to the economic and human development of women and girls. This appointment provides Ms. Mutale with an expanded international platform and supports IWTT-IWC’s mission to advance the sustainable political, social and economic empowerment of women and girls.
“Ms. Mutale’s collaboration with IWTT will provide greater resources, experiences and opportunities that will strengthen the delivery of The International Women’s Think Tank approach to build value for resourcing women globally,” said Brenda Morant, Founder, Chair & CEO of the International Women’s Think Tank and International Women’s Center (IWTT-IWC). “Justina Mutale is known globally for her humanitarian and community work. She brings substantial experience and resources to IWTT that includes her relationships with governments, international women’s groups and business organizations.”
Reacting to her appointment, Ms. Mutale congratulated the IWTT Team’s “brilliant initiative to elevate the status of women in the 21st century.”
She joins a list of highly respected international personalities from the arenas of government, education, business, agriculture, STEM and media who are serving as Honorary Ambassadors for the IWTT, and who are chosen because of their eminent name recognition and because of the respect with which they are held worldwide and their appeal as genuine humanitarians and business people.
“While working in Atlanta during my trip, I was impressed with how the IWTT promotes intellectual research, critical thinking and innovative solutions on issues related to women and girls, who are the fastest growing economy. As the world becomes more global, IWTT works to empower women and girls by increasing intercultural understanding, driving economic growth, exploring collaborative opportunities and partnerships that uplift the human condition and improve the quality of life, and I am honored to be a part of this mission,” Ms. Mutale said.
In addition to her vast work internationally, Ms. Mutale’s recent trip to the USA gave her opportunities to work with local politicians, as well as American volunteers and supporters of her organization, POSITIVE RUNWAY: Global Catwalk to Stop the Spread, which now spans the globe in over 130 countries.
Spending time with POSITIVE RUNWAY’s Hollywood Coordinator, Denise O’Brien, and Atlanta based Vice President and Coordinator, Ms. Kamanga during her extended stay in the USA strengthened not only the POSITIVE RUNWAY base from East to West Coast, but allowed Ms. Mutale time to share her mission while being interviewed on multiple radio and television shows.
“While taking her from event to event during her 10 day stay in Hollywood, I was inspired by Justina’s wisdom, grasp of international current events, genteel compassion for others, and passion for helping women and young girls in every city,” said Mr. O’Brien, publicist, emcee, and event coordinator for POSITIVE RUNWAY in California. “Spending personal time with Justina was not only inspirational and educational, but she encouraged me to keep going on multiple projects in which I volunteer to support the global efforts of POSITIVE RUNWAY right here in the heart of Hollywood. We were exhausted but exhilarated with our many accomplishments during her trip to the USA.”
In other international efforts, Ms. Mutale has worked with the London, England based Gender Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat; a membership of 54 countries that promote the advancement of gender equality; and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
A recipient of the 2013 WAF-MDG Award from the Women Advancement Forum in South Africa, in recognition of her efforts towards the actualization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Ms. Mutale has received many awards which include the African Woman of the Year 2012 Award presented to her during a ceremony held in London and the International Honorary Award, which was presented to her at the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Network Conference (GWIIN) in Accra, Ghana. GWIIN has a global platform that highlights women’s invention and innovation and promotes the introduction of new products, processes and services.
Ms. Mutale who has just returned to the UK already plans to return to the US this fall. She’ll first go to New York as part of the Civil Society delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Session on the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. She will then move on to Atlanta, to put the final touches on her Global FFMTT Awards.
The deadline for nominations is 15th September 2013. Nominations can be made in the following categories: Music Artists; Actors; Actresses; Film Producers; Fashion Designers; Television Personalities; Radio Personalities; Record Producers; Record Labels; Recording Studios; Models; Dancers; Choreographers; Comedians; DJs; Event Promoters; Celebrity Stylists; Hair Stylists; Make-up Artists; Photographers; Print and Electronic Media for the FFMTT Awards.
“POSITIVE RUNWAY works with celebrities from Film, Fashion, Music, Television, Theatre and Sport, who in their respective industries help us realize our ideals as influential and special effective advocates in our fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other scourges that impact negatively on the 21st century generation”, said Ms. Kamanga.
Ms. Mutale will also be a Keynote Speaker at the official opening of the International Women’s Center (IWC), which is scheduled to take place on 17th October 2013 at the Atlanta Metropolitan College.
Ms. Mutale was featured as a CFI Hero in a recent Issue of Capital Finance International (CFI) Journal, which brings coverage and analysis of the drivers behind change by combining the views of leading multilateral and national organizations with thought leadership from some of the world’s top minds.
