For Immediate Release:	October 1, 2002
For More Information:	Colleen Barton, Save the Children, 203.221.4187 Shawn Purdy, PMK/HBH, 212.373.1111
Sponsor Organization:	Save the Children
Initiative is Dedicated to Helping Protect Women and Children From War
October 1, 2002 (New York, NY) - Marie Claire magazine has joined forces with Save the Children, a leading relief and development organization, to provide protection and support for the primary victims of war worldwide--women and children-- through their One World, One Wish campaign. "While the face of war has changed, the humanitarian response has not," said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children. "We must act now to protect women and children from the horrors of war." A recent report by Save the Children referenced a UN study that revealed that at the turn of the last century, more than 90 percent of the casualties of war were the men who fought them; today, close to 90 percent of war victims are civilians--the majority of whom are women and children. "When we learned the staggering statistics and the numbers of women and children being killed and exploited because of war, I knew Marie Claire had to act," said Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour. "No matter what our personal politics--liberal, conservative, or other - none of us can allow women and children to become the casual, and incredibly dissproportionate, by-product of violence. Our 'one wish' is to get U.S. and international commitment to pass legislation that will protect women and children caught in war and conflict." As a first step, Save the Children is working with key policymakers and coalition partners to introduce new legislation that would ensure that the U.S. government has an appropriate strategy and budget to address the protection needs of women and children in each and every conflict, including efforts to prevent rape, exploitation and forced military servitude. Marie Claire urges readers to get involved by purchasing an exclusive DKNY t-shirt created just for this campaign. All net proceeds from the sales approximately $9 per shirt sold) will go directly to those in need around the world right now, as well as to help Marie Claire and Save the Children kick off a larger drive to get the U.S. government to protect women and children caught in the crossfire. Celebrities such as Courteney Cox Arquette, Stockard Channing, Macy Gray, Alex Kingston, Denise Richards, Kyra Sedgwick, Mariska Hargitay, Lorraine Bracco, Donald Faison, Lisa Marie, Estella Warren and Bradley Whitford among others, all proudly wear the t-shirt in the November issue of Marie Claire. Save the Children has also initiated a One World, One Wish Fund to support the grassroots effort to pass legislation to protect women and children in conflict. Contributions have already been received from the UN Foundation, DKNY and FABB (the Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball). More information about this fund or other ways to help can be found at http://www.savethechildren.org <http://www.savethechildren.org>. /> Save the Children is a leading international non-profit relief and development organization working in more than 40 countries worldwide, including the United States. Its mission is to make lasting, positive change in the lives of children in need. Save the Children is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a worldwide network of 32 independent Save the Children organizations working in more than 100 countries to ensure the well-being and protect the rights of children everywhere. Marie Claire is published in 26 countries and is read by more than 15 million worldwide. The magazine was founded in 1937 by French industrialist Jean Prouvost, whose goal was to present the realities of life mixed with fashion and beauty coverage. The American edition is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation, through a joint venture with Marie Claire Album. Hearst Magazines is a unit of The Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with a total of 16 U.S. titles and 110 international editions. Hearst's magazines are also read by more U.S. adult women than any other monthly magazine publisher. The company also publishes 18 magazines in the United Kingdom through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. # # #