In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, First Lady Michelle Obama joined Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom to honor this year’s ten recipients of the International Women of Courage Award.
The award recognizes women around the globe who have shown extraordinary courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of the award in 2007, the Department of State has honored more than 70 women from 49 different countries.
The First Lady’s remarks were a call to action. “When we see these women raise their voices and move their feet and empower others to create change, we need to realize that each of us has that same power and that same obligation.” She added, “…the idea that a girl in Dakar shares the same hopes and dreams as a girl from Fiji or Ukraine or the South Side of Chicago — that reminds us that we’re never alone in our struggles.”
The awardees are:
Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil, Afghanistan
Ms. Roshika Deo, Fiji
Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze, Georgia
Judge Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar, Guatemala
Laxmi, India
Ms. Fatimata Touré, Mali
Dr. Maha Al Muneef, Saudi Arabia
Ms. Oinikhol Bobonazarova, Tajikistan
Ms. Ruslana Lyzhychko, Ukraine
Ms. Beatrice Mtetwa, Zimbabwe
For more information on the work of these ten exceptional women, visit The U.S. State Department.
