The International Women of Courage Award is an American award.  Every year the United States Department of State gives the award to women around the world who have shown the ability to lead other people, the ability to do something that they know is difficult or dangerous, the ability to deal well with new or difficult situations and to find solutions to problems, and who are ready to give up something to help to make people aware of women's rights.

History

U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice started the award in 2007, on March 8, International Women's Day.  In many countries in the world, people do something special on this day.  Each United States embassy can recommend one woman to be considered for this award.

Award recipients by year

2018

Roya Sadat of Afghanistan
Aura Elena Farfan of Guatemala
Julissa Villanueva of Honduras
Aliyah Khalaf Saleh of Iraq
Maria Elena Berini of Italy 
Aiman Umarova of Kazakhstan
Feride Rushiti of Kosovo
L’Malouma Said of Mauritania
Godeliève Mukasarasi of Rwanda
Sirikan Charoensiri of Thailand

2017

Sharmin Akter of Bangladesh
Malebogo Molefhe of Botswana
Natalia Ponce de Leon of Colombia
Rebecca Kabugho of Democratic Republic of Congo
Jannat Al Ghezi of Iraq
Aichatou Ousmane Issaka of Niger
Veronica Simogun of Papua New Guinea
Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista of Peru
Sandya Eknelygoda of Sri Lanka
Carolin Tahhan Fachakh of Syria
Saadet Ozkan of Turkey
Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh of Vietnam
Fadia Najib Thabet of Yemen

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 Hasan of Iraq
Nisha Ayub of Malaysia
Fatimata M’baye of Mauritania
Zhanna Nemtsova of Russia
Zuzana Stevulova of Slovakia
Awadeya Mahmoud of Sudan
Vicky Ntetema of Tanzania
Rodjaraeg Wattanapanit of Thailand
Nihal Naj Ali Al-Awlaqi of Yemen

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

2014

 Nasrin Oryakhil of Afghanistan 
 Roshika Deo of Fiji 
 Rusudan Gotsiridze of Georgia 
 Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar of Guatemala 
 Laxmi Aggarwal of India 
 Fatimata Touré of Mali 
 Maha Al Muneef of Saudi Arabia 
 Oinikhol Bobonazarova of Tajikstan 
 Ruslana Lyzhychko of Ukraine 
 Beatrice Mtetwa of Zimbabwe 

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 
 Ta Phong Tan of Vietnam 

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 

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 Kyrgyzstan 
 Ghulam Sughra of Pakistan 
 Yoani Sanchez of Cuba 
 Nasta Palazhanka of Belarus 

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 

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 

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 

2007

 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 Afganistan
 Sundus Abbas of Iraq
 Shatha Abdul Razzak Abbousi of Iraq 
 Mary Akrami of Afghanistan

References

Other websites

 2017 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department album on Flickr 
 2016 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr  
 2015 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 2014 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 2013 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 2012 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 2011 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 2010 International Women of Courage Awards, U. S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
 U.S. Department of State International Women of Courage Award (Archived)

United States Department of State