International Women of Courage Award

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

## 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)

## Infobox (award)

- **name**: International Women of Courage Award
- **image**: 2012 IWOC Award winners with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle Obama.jpg
- **imagesize**: 300px
- **caption**: The winners, presenters, and guests at the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards, March 8, 2012.

Back row, from left: Melanne Verveer (guest), Leymah Gbowee (guest), Shad Begum, Aneesa Ahmed, Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih, Samar Badawi, Tawakel Karman (guest).
Front row, from left: Maryam Durani, Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo, Zin Mar Aung, Michelle Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jineth Bedoya Lima, Hana Elhebshi, Şafak Pavey.
- **presenter**: United States Department of State
- **location**: Washington, D. C.
- **country**: United States
- **website**: [http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/ Secretary's International Women of Courage Award]