At the age of 15, Theron saw her mother fatally shoot her alcoholic father as he went on a drunken rampage. She previously won an Oscar for her portrayal of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a victim of violence and abuse, who was executed in Florida in 2002. She tackled sexual harassment through her character in the 2005 film North Country. Today, she has a new role. As a UN ambassador of peace, the South African-born actress will focus on ending violence against women. She becomes the UN’s 10th peace envoy, joining the ranks of US actors George Clooney and Michael Douglas, British naturalist Jane Goodall, and authors Paulo Coelho and Elie Wiesel.

Theron was named by Esquire magazine last year as its ‘Sexiest Woman Alive.’ She has also been involved in charitable causes. She put up mobile health clinics in rural areas of South Africa where access to health care is limited and difficult. She also founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Now 33 years old and a US citizen, Theron is also the founder of a project aimed at promoting HIV/AIDS education for children and their families in South Africa.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon tells Theron, “You have used your voice, compassion and special relationship with the public to create a better world.” Mr. Ban has earlier stressed the need to appoint more women in leadership positions in UN peace operations. The UN recognizes the crucial and urgent need to address the problem of violence against women which has reached “hideous and pandemic proportions.”

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Via cbcnews