Nicole Kidman has served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for women since 2006, but her latest endorsement of Etihad Airways has drawn harsh criticism from flight attendants.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants issued a statement on April 2 asking Kidman to pull her voice, image and name from the airline company's ad campaign. The statement cites reports of discriminatory labor practices and poor treatment of its female employees, not unlike the human rights violations committed by the company's owner, the United Arab Emirates.
The APFA referenced Kidman's speech on International Women's Day when the actress said, "I envisage a world where all women and girls have equal opportunities and rights... Now is the time to step it up!" The union of 25,000 flight attendants argues that lending her face to Etihad Airways contradicts her beliefs.
"We urge you, on behalf of the women and girls that you spoke of so eloquently, not to play a part in promoting Etihad Airways, a company that imposes abusive labor practices on its female employees and whose sole owner is a government that stands against the very world that you imagine," the union wrote.
The APFA also referenced several reports against the airline and the UAE for the lack of human rights for their employees and citizens. Etihad Airways reportedly fired women for becoming pregnant and forced its flight attendants to live in confined compounds. The UAE allows husbands to beat their wives and provides no legal recourse for marital rape, according to Business Insider.
Kidman has yet to respond to the criticism.
