Glamour's Women Of The Year 2010 Gala: Favorite Moments

by JODIE SNYDER · November 9, 2010

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    Last night I had the honor of attending the 20th anniversary of the Glamour Women of the Year awards ceremony at Carnegie hall. It was particularly special for me as my sister, Danielle, was being honored for her philanthropic work and was recognized along with 19 other rockstar young women including 14 year old famed blogger Tavi Gevinson and the courageous 17 year old Kendall Ciesemier.-

    The night was about honoring women from all different walks of life including celebrities, politicians, musicians, athletes, physicians, and celebrating their dedication to make our world a better place. These women rock!  Some of the highlights from the night...

    -Julia Roberts' acceptance speech. Oprah Winfrey came to pay tribute to her dear friend and award her with the honor. Looking back at all of her amazing accomplishments over the years (in addition to her role in Pretty Woman), Julia Roberts is an incredible role model. She's a loving mother and ambassador for so many worthy causes including Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camp for children with grave illnesses. She also campaigns to fund research for Rett Syndrome (a neurodevelopmental disorder that can destroy kids’ ability to walk and speak) and serves on the board of Earth Biofuels, which promotes renewable energy.

    -Fergie tears up like a woman. She gave a heartfelt and tearful acceptance speech like a real Glamour woman in a smoking hot Zac Posen dress.

    -Cher shares wisdom from the top.

    "'No' is some bullshit word that someone made up."

    She closed the ceremony with the life time achievement award. Forty-five years ago "I got you" made her a sensation and she's been on fire ever since. She's made it her mission to use her celebrity to help build a school in Kenya and raise money for wounded verterans so they can have a fulfilling life post trauma, all while making a return to the movies where she stars in Burlesque.

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    -Young women change our world. Despite the excitement of having Julia, Janet, Kate, Oprah and Fergie in the room, the most powerful part of the night was honoring the real woman who aren't normally in the spotlight--and were truthfully so humble and sincere they seemed to be somewhat uncomfortable in the limelight. Women like Constance McMillen, the 18 year old high school student who stood up for what she believed in when her school wouldn't let her take her girlfriend to the prom. She contacted the American Civil Liberties Union which filed a lawsuit. Her school canceled the dance, but Constance's actions and her dignity drew worldwide attention to the trauma gay teens often face.

    Katie Spotz — To raise awareness about the global need for clean drinking water, this 22-year-old decided to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Ten thousand strokes a day, more than 2,800 miles and 70 days later, she became the youngest person ever to complete this feat.

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    Queen Rania of Jordan is a modern queen. She tweets. She blogs and has nearly 30,000 followers on YouTube. Queen Rania of Jordan is also a leader on one of this century's key issues: empowering and educating women and girls.

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    Dr. Hawa Abdi and her daughters-This 63-year-old ob-gyn and her two doctor daughters provide food and care for approximately 90,000 Somalis displaced by the country's violence on her family's land outside of Mogadishu. She's faced down militants and threats to her life, but remains focused on providing help to her country's most helpless citizens.

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