Embed from Getty Images

In case you were wondering what Angelina Jolie was up to this week, she was in London to attend the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial. She attended the conference alongside UK defence Secretary Michael Fallon and American SecDef Ash Carter (she greeted both men like old friends). Angelina’s appearance at the conference was described as a “surprise” but she also gave a speech, so I think she probably was always scheduled to attend.

As for the speech, Angelina first honored the work and sacrifices made by UN Peacekeepers, but she also called for changes to be made to the business-as-usual of peacekeeping missions. She pointed out that peacekeeping missions around the world need more female employees from top to bottom, and perhaps the inclusion of more women in the bureaucracy of the UN will lead to more comprehensive changes in how peacekeepers behave while on the ground in a crisis. She specifically called out the UN’s missions, credibility and reputation were “sadly undermined by the actions of a few intolerable cases of women and children being sexually exploited by the very people in charge of protecting them.” Jolie asked for a new approach by UN missions with “the rights and protection and involvement of women at its heart… Peacekeeping forces can only gain and keep the trust of local populations if they are able to engage with women as well as men in that community.” You can read more about the conference here.

Here’s a clip from Jolie’s speech:

God, I just love her. She’s such a badass. She’s up there talking to a room full of seasoned diplomats and military-defense people and they are all listening to what she is saying.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty.