Russian tennis star Vera Zvonareva named UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour “Promoter of Gender Equality”

Paris, 20 May

• © Sony Ericsson WTA
• Vera Zvonareva

Russian tennis star Vera Zvonareva was named today a "Promoter of Gender Equality" to help create leadership opportunities for women within UNESCO’s partnership with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

The Olympic medalist joins the previously named "Promoters of Gender Equality", current Tour stars Venus Williams (USA), Tatiana Golovin (France) and Zheng Jie (China), as well as Tour founder Billie Jean King, appointed “Global Mentor for Gender Equality”. Zvonareva will contribute to raising awareness of gender equality issues at national and global level, and take part in women's leadership programmes developed through the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership.

Zvonareva, a winner of nine singles and five doubles titles on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, is currently ranked No. 6 player in the world. The 24-year-old already has a keen interest in education and international leadership as a post-graduate student in international relations and economics at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"I am truly honored to be serving as a Promoter of Gender Equality, especially being the first one from Russia," said Zvonareva. "I will work extremely hard in helping young girls and women all around the world to gain access to education and to better opportunities to succeed in whatever they wish to do.”

"I am very happy to announce today that Ms Vera Zvonareva is being designated as the fourth UNESCO Promoter of Gender Equality," said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO. "As leaders and role models for women and girls around the world, these formidable athletes and successful women are a source of inspiration in their deeds both on and off the court, driving the message that gender equality is a goal that can and must be realized in order for us to achieve peace and sustainable development."

"Great strides have been made in recent years to improve the role of women in society but many challenges still remain," said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Through our partnership with UNESCO, we seek to show the world that women deserve the same possibilities as men and to create real leadership opportunities for women and girls. I am delighted that Vera Zvonareva will be taking a leadership role herself in this valuable initiative.”

Since the launch in November 2006 of the landmark global partnership between UNESCO and the Tour to further gender equality and promote women’s leadership in all spheres of society, substantial funds have been raised or pledged; a series of programmes has been launched and funded; a global TV and print advertising campaign has been developed; and Sony Ericsson tournaments have initiated advocacy, awareness and fund-raising activities on behalf of the Partnership.

Activities previously announced and now being implemented include: a women-only night school programme in Liberia; a project to create a group of successful female politicians, business women and athletes in Cameroon; a project to raise the percentage of rural women involved in local affairs in China; capacity-building and training for women’s social and political leadership in the Dominican Republic; legal rights workshops to empower women in Jordan; and in the United States, a Billie Jean King leadership internship programme with the Women’s Sports Foundation.

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:UNESCO Press Release No. 2009-46
• 20-05-2009