Nicole Kidman's Letter To Survivors Of Domestic Violence Is A Must-Read

Nicole Kidman wrote a heartfelt open letter to survivors of domestic violence for Porter magazine in an effort to lend her voice to the voiceless.

The Australian actress portrayed a woman who is a victim of domestic violence in the HBO series Big Little Lies. For her performance, she won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie. In the letter she wrote, "It never occurred to me that I should be at a disadvantage because I was born a girl. The idea that women and men are equal is part of my DNA. I was raised by a strong feminist mother and a fully supportive father."

Kidman went on to explain how her feminist roots led her to work with the United Nations as a Goodwill Ambassador. She continued: "It is in this role that I come to fully understand the barriers that women around the world are facing. I have focused on lending my voice to women who are survivors of violence. The stories I have heard from them have shaken me to the core and changed me forever."

She began her work with the UN in 2006, specifically focusing on shedding light on the pervasiveness of violence against women, which affects as many as 1 in 3 women worldwide. On her ambassador bio with the United Nations, Kidman says, "As the Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women, the United Nations’ organization working to empower women and girls, I have seen that there is no limit to what women can achieve when given the opportunity... I have met women who had to overcome enormous obstacles, yet who went on to help others and organize to achieve social change. To me, these women embody resilience, strength, dignity—and hope.”

The Oscar-winning actress called on women to support and help one another in her letter, explaining how crucial it is for survivors of domestic violence to "reclaim their lives." Most importantly, Kidman underscored the significance of women knowing that they are not alone in the challenges they face, writing, "More than ever, I am aware of the need to support and celebrate each other. I like to believe I am part of a global support group network of 3.4 billion."

In this must-read letter, she described the challenges, big and small, that arise in women's lives simply because they are women in a still-unequal world. Kidman thanked those in her life who encouraged her to believe in herself. "Imagine: if you can fall back on the 3.5 billion sisters, and the many good men who are with us, what could we possibly not achieve?"

In her acceptance speech after winning the Emmy for her role in Big Little Lies, the actress dedicated it to the support of her family. “I also am a mother and a wife,” she said. “I have two little girls — Sunny and Faith — and my darling [husband] Keith [Urban], whom I asked to help me pursue this artistic path, and they have to sacrifice so much for it. So, this is yours. I want my little girls to have this on their shelf and look at it and go, ‘Every time my mama didn’t put me to bed, it’s because of this. I got something!'”