International Women of Courage Award

International Women of Courage Award
The International Women of Courage Award, also referred to as the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness, and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially in promoting women's rights.
History
The award was established in 2007 by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on or near the International Women's Day, an annual celebration observed each March 8 in many countries worldwide. Each U.S. embassy has the right to recommend one woman as a candidate. As of 2021, the award has been given to over 155 recipients from about 75 different countries.
Award recipients by year
2007
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari of Israel
Jennifer Louise Williams of Zimbabwe
Siti Musdah Mulia of Indonesia
Ilze Jaunalksne of Latvia
Samia al-Amoudi of Saudi Arabia
Mariya Ahmed Didi of the Maldives
Susana Trimarco de Veron of Argentina
Aziza Siddiqui of Afghanistan
Sundus Abbas of Iraq
Shatha Abdul Razzak Abbousi of Iraq
Mary Akrami of Afghanistan
Grace Padaca of the Philippines
2008
Suraya Pakzad of Afghanistan
Virisila Buadromo of Fiji
Eaman al-Gobory of Iraq
Valdete Idrizi of Kosovo
Begum Jan of Pakistan
Nibal Thawabteh of the Palestinian Authority
Cynthia Bendlin of Paraguay
Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim of Somalia
2009
Mutabar Tadjibayeva of Uzbekistan
Ambiga Sreenevasan of Malaysia
Wazhma Frogh of Afghanistan
Norma Cruz of Guatemala
Suaad Allami of Iraq
Hadizatou Mani of Niger
Veronika Marchenko of Russia
Reem Al Numery of Yemen
2010
Shukria Asil of Afghanistan
Shafiqa Quraishi of Afghanistan
Androula Henriques of Cyprus
Sonia Pierre of the Dominican Republic
Shadi Sadr of Iran
Ann Njogu of Kenya
Lee Ae-ran of South Korea
Jansila Majeed of Sri Lanka
Marie Claude Naddaf of Syria
Jestina Mukoko of Zimbabwe
Alice Mabota was given the award but she is not in the official list.
2011
Maria Bashir of Afghanistan
Henriette Ekwe Ebongo of Cameroon
Guo Jianmei of China
Eva Abu Halaweh of Jordan
Marisela Morales Ibañez of Mexico
Ágnes Osztolykán of Hungary
Roza Otunbayeva of the Kyrgyz Republic
Ghulam Sughra of Pakistan
Yoani Sanchez of Cuba
Nasta Palazhanka of Belarus
Pionie Boso of the Solomon Islands
2012
Aneesa Ahmed of the Maldives
Zin Mar Aung of Burma
Samar Badawi of Saudi Arabia
Shad Begum of Pakistan
Maryam Durani of Afghanistan
Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo of Brazil
Hana Elhebshi of Libya
Jineth Bedoya Lima of Colombia
Şafak Pavey of Turkey
Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih of Sudan
Gabi Calleja of Malta
2013
Malalai Bahaduri of Afghanistan
Tsering Woeser of China
Julieta Castellanos of Honduras
Nirbhaya "Fearless" of India
Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin of Nigeria
Elena Milashina of Russia
Fartuun Adan of Somalia
Razan Zeitouneh of Syria
Tạ Phong Tần of Vietnam
2014
Nasrin Oryakhil of Afghanistan
Roshika Deo of Fiji
Rusudan Gotsiridze of Georgia
Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar of Guatemala
Laxmi of India
Fatimata Touré of Mali
Maha Al Muneef of Saudi Arabia
Oinikhol Bobonazarova of Tajikistan
Ruslana Lyzhychko of Ukraine
Beatrice Mtetwa of Zimbabwe
2015
Niloofar Rahmani of Afghanistan
Nadia Sharmeen of Bangladesh
Rosa Julieta Montaño Salvatierra of Bolivia
May Sabe Phyu of Burma
Emilie Béatrice Epaye of the Central African Republic
Marie Claire Tchecola of Guinea
Sayaka Osakabe of Japan
Arbana Xharra of Kosovo
Tabassum Adnan of Pakistan
Majd Izzat al-Chourbaji of Syria
2016
Sara Hossain of Bangladesh
Debra Baptist-Estrada of Belize
Ni Yulan of China
Latifa Ibn Ziaten of France
Thelma Aldana of Guatemala
Nagham Nawzat of Iraq
Nisha Ayub of Malaysia
Fatimata M’baye of Mauritania
Zhanna Nemtsova of Russia
Zuzana Števulová of Slovakia
Awadeya Mahmoud of Sudan
Vicky Ntetema of Tanzania
Rodjaraeg Wattanapanit of Thailand
Nihal Naj Ali Al-Awlaqi of Yemen
2017
2017 awards were awarded to:
Sharmin Akter, activist on early/forced marriage, Bangladesh
Malebogo Molefhe, human rights activist, Botswana
Natalia Ponce de Leon, president of the Natalia Ponce de Leon Foundation, Colombia
Rebecca Kabugho, political and social activist, Democratic Republic of Congo
Jannat Al Ghezi, deputy director of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq
Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka, deputy director of social work at the Military Hospital of Niamey, Niger
Veronica Simogun, founder and director of the Family for Change Association, Papua New Guinea
Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, lawyer and icon of Not One Woman Less, Peru
Sandya Eknelygoda, human rights activist, Sri Lanka
Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, nun and member of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (F.M.A.), Syria
Saadet Ozkan, educator and gender activist, Turkey
Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (Mother Mushroom), blogger and environmental activist, Vietnam
Fadia Najeeb Thabet, human rights activist, Yemen
2018
2018 awards were awarded to:
Roya Sadat of Afghanistan
Aura Elena Farfan of Guatemala
Dr. Julissa Villanueva of Honduras
Aliyah Khalaf Saleh of Iraq
Sister Maria Elena Berini of Italy (nominated by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See)
Aiman Umarova of Kazakhstan
Dr. Feride Rushiti of Kosovo
L’Malouma Said of Mauritania
Godeliève Mukasarasi of Rwanda
Sirikan Charoensiri of Thailand
2019
2019 awards were awarded to:
Marini De Livera of Sri Lanka
Razia Sultana (Bangladesh)
Naw K’nyaw Paw (Myanmar)
Moumina Houssein Darar (Djibouti)
Maggie Gobran (Egypt)
Khalida Khalaf Hanna al-Twal (Jordan)
Orla Treacy (Republic of Ireland)
Olivera Lakić (Montenegro)
Flor de María Vega Zapata (Peru)
Anna Aloys Henga (Tanzania)
Note: According to Foreign Policy magazine, an intended award for Jessikka Aro (Finland), announced in January 2019, was withdrawn shortly before the ceremony in March 2019.
2020
2020 awards were awarded to:
Zarifa Ghafari (Afghanistan)
Lucy Kocharyan (Armenia)
Shahla Humbatova (Azerbaijan)
Ximena Galarza (Bolivia)
Claire Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Sayragul Sauytbay (China)
Susanna Liew (Malaysia)
Amaya Coppens (Nicaragua)
Jalila Haider (Pakistan)
Amina Khoulani (Syria)
Yasmin al Qadhi (Yemen)
Rita Nyampinga (Zimbabwe)
2021
2021 awards were awarded to:
Maria Kalesnikava (Belarus)
Phyoe Phyoe Aung (Burma) (sic)
Maximilienne C. Ngo Mbe (Cameroon)
Wang Yu (China)
Mayerlis Angarita (Colombia)
Julienne Lusenge (DRC)
Erika Aifan (Guatemala)
Shohreh Bayat (Iran)
Muskan Khatun (Nepal)
Zahra Mohamed Ahmad (Somalia)
Alicia Vacas Moro (Spain)
Ranitha Gnanarajah (Sri Lanka)
Canan Gullu (Turkey)
Ana Rosario Contreras (Venezuela)
2022
2022 awards were awarded to:
Rizwana Hasan (Bangladesh)
Simone Sibilio do Nascimento (Brazil)
Ei Thinzar Maung (Burma)
Josefina Klinger Zúñiga (Colombia)
Taif Sami Mohammed (Iraq)
Facia Boyenoh Harris (Liberia)
Najla Mangoush (Libya)
Doina Gherman (Moldova)
Bhumika Shrestha (Nepal)
Carmen Gheorghe (Romania)
Roegchanda Pascoe (South Africa)
Phạm Đoan Trang (Vietnam)
2023
The 2023 awards were given to:
Hadeel Abdel Aziz
Professor Danièle Darlan
Brigadier General Bolor Ganbold
Dr. Zakira Hekmat
Meaza Mohammed
Yuliia Paievska
Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi
Doris Ríos
Alba Rueda
Bakhytzhan Toregozhina
Bianka Zalewska
An additional Honorary Group Award was given to the "women and girl protestors of Iran" in response to the death of Mahsa Amini and the ongoing protests against the government.
See also
List of awards honoring women
References
External links
Secretary's International Women of Courage Award
2010 International Women of Courage Awards, U.S. State Department photostream on Flickr p
2011 International Women of Courage Awards, U.S. State Department photostream on Flickr
2007 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Annual events in the United States
Awards established in 2007
Awards honoring women
Civil awards and decorations of the United States
Courage awards
United States Department of State