Joely helped launch our family planning programme in Ethiopia, travelling to meet girls affected by early marriage.
Actress Joely Richardson is best known for her roles in TV series The Tudors and Nip/Tuck, as well as films including 101 Dalmatians, The Patriot and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Joely Richardson has been supporting Save the Children since 2012, when she travelled to Ethiopia for the launch of the Family Planning Summit in association with The Gates Foundation.
Joely Richardson at Save the Children's Centenary Gala
During her trip to Ethiopia, Joely met teenage girls who had been married very young and gone on to become mothers. She said: "I felt honoured so many girls were prepared to share their stories with me, a stranger.
"What I found most difficult was talking to girls aged only nine and ten about marriage. Sex education is totally taboo. Meeting so many girls who had been promised to older men, seeing the fear in their eyes and how helpless they felt, has stayed with me.
"We need to look after children globally. We can all do our bit to put this right. My time in Ethiopia was full of hope. I saw real change taking place, albeit slowly."
