On Wednesday, Mexican actress Salma Hayek Pinault was given a Humanitarian Award at the 17th Annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Gala in Washington, D.C., reports Daily Mail.

Born in Mexico to a Lebanese father and Spanish mother, Hayek Pinault has become not only an award winning actress but an internationally recognized advocate. She formed the Salma Hayek Foundation, which works to end violence against women and bring global attention to humanitarian crises. She and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, along with the fashion house Gucci, founded Chime for Change, a global initiative to support and strengthen women's empowerment projects.

The "Frida" star is also on the board of the Kering Foundation. She has also worked with organizations such as Youth AIDS, Global Green, VDay and others.

The actress recently visited an informal Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley on behalf of UNICEF to raise funds for Syrian refugees. She also visited with children currently living in poverty.

Hayek Pinault's outstanding humanitarian efforts have earned her awards and recognition around the globe.

On April 19, Her Royal Highness Queen Letizia of Spain presented her with a Humanitarian Award during the Madame Figaro "Woman Awards" in Madrid. Hayek Pinault's seven-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, accompanied her mother to the awards ceremony.

 

"I believe so much in the power of humanity. A lot of my humanitarian work has focused on women, but I always say that it's really about all of us -- men and women, boys and girls," Hayek Pinault told the audience upon accepting the award.

Hayek Pinault was awarded the Clinton Global Citizen Award in 2010 for her efforts as a spokeswoman for Unicef's 2008 campaign to end maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide. In 2012, the president of France named her a Chevalier de la Legion D'Honneur for which she was presented the Medallion of Excellence Award by the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 2013.