Diane von Furstenberg Awards Strong Women; Noms for People's Voice Awards Announced

On Friday, March 9, 2012, the third annual DVF Awards will take place at the United Nations in New York during Newsweek & The Daily Beast's Women in the World Summit held March 8-10 at Lincoln Center.

The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by Diane Von Furstenberg and The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to recognize and support women who are using their resources, commitment and visibility to transform the lives of other women. These are women who have had the courage to fight, the power to survive and the leadership to inspire. Each year, five awards are given to women who have demonstrated leadership, strength and courage in their commitment to women's causes. Among those five is the People's Voice Award, the recipient of which is chosen by the public, through online voting at dvfawards.com.

This year's nominees for the third annual People's Voice Awards, as selected by The DVF Awards Board of Advisors, are:

Diane Latiker (Kids Off The Block, Inc.)
Layli Miller-Muro (Tahirih Justice Center)
Andrea Powell (FAIR Girls)
Jennifer Valoppi (Women of Tomorrow)

Public voting will launch online at dvfawards.com on Thursday, February 2 and last through Wednesday, February 15.

"The People's Voice Awards have been a great success in the past two years," says von Furstenberg. "Last year, over 35,000 people voted online for the woman who inspired them! This year, we are proud to highlight four truly exceptional nominees who are doing incredible work on behalf of women."

Last year's People's Voice Award recipient was Taryn Davis of The American Widow Project. Since receiving the grant, Davis has been named one of CNN's Heroes of the Year and one of Glamour Magazine's 21 Amazing Young Women, among other accolades. What is more, The American Widow Project has doubled the amount of widows it has served and is currently launching a new website in order to connect to countless more.

Supported by The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, the People's Voice Award aims to provide the recipient with the exposure and resources needed to extend her critical efforts on behalf of women's causes. The winner will receive a $50,000 award from the Foundation to sustain and expand their extraordinary efforts. The People's Voice Award winner will be honored at the DVF Awards on March 9, 2012 at a ceremony hosted by Tina Brown and Diane Von Furstenberg.

Diane Von Furstenberg, one of the premier names in American fashion, was founded in 1972 by the designer. Renowned for its iconic wrap dress and signature prints, DVF has grown into the global luxury lifestyle brand it is today. Its distinctive collections are sold in over 70 countries and in 44 namesake retail boutiques worldwide. A firm believer in the infinite power of women, Diane Von Furstenberg sits on the board of Vital Voices and has organized initiatives worldwide to support their activities, including the Artisan Handbag Design Competition, the Wonder Woman Comic, and the Proud to be Woman campaign. In addition to DVF's commitment to women's empowerment, Diane is a supporter of the Friends of the High Line and played an integral role in the redevelopment of the elevated rail tracks into a public park. As President of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), Diane is an advocate for American fashion and a mentor to its growing community of designers.

Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) that identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them through their networks to create a better world for us all. Vital Voices provides these women with the capacity, connections, and credibility they need to unlock their potential. Vital Voices international staff and team of over 1,000 partners, pro bono experts and leaders have trained and mentored more than 10,000 emerging women leaders from over 150 countries since 1997.

For more information visit dvfawards.com

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos