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2005 Benefit Highlights

Tahirih Justice Center’s Eighth Annual Fundraising Benefit was held on September 27, 2005, at the JW Marriott in downtown Washington, DC. Tahirih welcomed over 420 distinguished guests and participants—more than ever before. All gathered to celebrate and honor the lives of courageous women and girls, who are standing up against human-rights abuses, as well as the dedicated individuals and organizations helping them in their fight for justice.

This year, Tahirih was honored to have Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan as the evening’s Keynote Speaker. Her Majesty is an avid human rights advocate. She delivered a poignant speech, highlighting the escalation of violence against women around the world as a deep wound that must be addressed. Her Majesty fiercely condemned such violence as a human-rights abuse and praised Tahirih’s efforts in combating injustices against women and girls. Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware, author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act and committed advocate for protections from violence for women, spoke passionately about his personal commitment to justice for women and girls. Congressman James Moran from the Eighth Congressional District in Virginia, a dedicated supporter of Tahirih’s efforts to protect women and girls, presented the evening’s awards. Finally, Franca Ukpai-Ama, a Tahirih client who fled Nigeria, bravely told her personal story.

Tahirih presented three awards at this year’s Benefit. Each recipient received a piece of framed artwork, handmade by children of Tahirih clients. The awards included The Pushing the Envelope Award, presented to The Meyer Foundation for the tremendous support and encouragement they have provided to Tahirih over the years; the Pro Bono Award, presented to Arnold & Porter LLP for their dedication and excellence in representing Tahirih clients and for winning a landmark case against an International Marriage Broker; and the Volunteer Service Award, presented to Dorothy Rudzik for her creative efforts in helping Tahirih achieve a professional public image.

For the first time, Tahirih—through the help of dedicated volunteers—was able to offer child care services during the Benefit, making it possible for many clients and their families to join us. The children enjoyed snacks and refreshments, a movie, and a private visit with Her Majesty in a separate room provided for them by the JW Marriott. In fact, one little girl, Laura, came wearing her own crown to meet Her Majesty. In addition to bringing together a diverse crowd through the powerful thread of the pursuit of justice, the evening was also a successful fundraising effort for Tahirih:

• Corporate donations were up 45%;
• Ticket sales and other individual donations were up 19%; and
• Silent auction sales were up 253%.

The overall result was an increase of 43% in net revenue from the previous Benefit! Tahirih thanks our distinguished guests and many supporters for making the evening such a resounding success and for helping to sustain our efforts to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing violence. These funds will be used to continue those efforts.

Corporate Sponsors

Tahirih is privileged and honored to have the support of committed sponsors (view full list) and silent auction contributors (view full list)—through their kindness and generosity we were able to raise more money than ever before in support of vulnerable women and girls fleeing violence.