Nicole Kidman tesified before a US congressional panel on violence against women, conceding that Hollywood probably has contributed to the problem by portraying women as weak sex objects. However, the Academy Award-winning actress said she is not interested those kinds of demeaning roles, adding that the movie industry also has made an effort to contribute to solutions for ending the violence. Kidman testified Wednesday before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that is considering legislation to deal with violence against women overseas through humanitarian relief efforts and grants to local organizations working on the problem. Asked by Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher whether the movie industry has “played a bad role,” Kidman said “probably” but quickly added that she herself does not. “I can't be responsible for all of Hollywood, but I can certainly be responsible for my own career,” she said. Kidman appeared before the committee in her role as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM, to promote the International Violence Against Women Act. The Australian star told Congress that the U.N. women's fund needs more resources. “We need the money,” she said. Before the hearing began, a crowd of people lined the hall and around the corner to hear her speak.
