92nd Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre – Arrivals Featuring: Natalie Portman, Benjamin Millepied Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 09 Feb 2020 Credit: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN/Cover Images
Yara Shahidi and Li Bingbing also feature in the series.
Natalie Portman discusses “standing against injustice” in a new video to celebrate the Dior Stands With Women initiative.
The female-led education and empowerment scheme is a collaboration with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP), and the second instalment of the series also includes U.S. actress and producer Yara Shahidi, Chinese actress and singer Li Bingbing, U.S. model Dilone, and South Korean figure skater Kim Yuna.
As Natalie’s video begins, the Israeli-born actress explains why she felt compelled to lend her voice to the movement.
“It was like instilled in me very early on that if there isn’t justice, you have to stand up because not standing up against injustice is being complicit with it,” she says.
The series of promotional videos is called #Diorstandswithwomen and #Diorchinup.
Activist Yara insists it’s important for women to stand up for what they believe in, make their voice count and dare to dream big.
“What we know to be true is that so many young women aren’t given the space to be heard consistently, to feel as though people are genuinely taking the time to understand what they’re saying,” she says in her video.
“And so when I go in to fight for what I believe is right, or what I believe is crucial to a certain project, I think there are many times that women – and it’s only exacerbated if you are a woman of colour – tow the line between being viewed as assertive and driven or aggressive. And it is important and requires constant conversation even for me to know that my being assertive, my being driven and my being committed is not something to ever be ashamed of.”
CTAOP was launched by Dior muse Charlize in 2007 with the hope of making a difference in fighting HIV in her home country of South Africa.
—Reuters
