US First Lady Presents International Women of Courage Award

“These honorees on the stage with me have fought for their rights and for the rights of others. Each battle forces, such as governments, the courts, gender bias, terrorism, war and corruption, and were willing, in each moment, to face harsh penalties including imprisonment and death,” Trump said.

“Together, with the international community, the United States must send a clear message that we are watching. It is therefore our duty to continue to shine the light on each miraculous victory achieved by women— all capable of trying, truly leading the change to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves,” she said.

The Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award honors women around the world for exhibiting courage and leadership in their advocacy for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, the Vietnamese green blogger and environmental activist, could not attend because she’s in prison.

Since its creation in 2007, the program has awarded over 100 women from 60 countries.

First lady Melania Trump presents the 2017 Secretary’s of State’s International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award to Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh from Syria, March 29, 2017, at the State Department in Washington.

Trump presented the awards alongside the Undersecretary of State for political affairs Thomas Shannon.

After the ceremony, the women will travel to a number of American cities on individual International Visitor Leadership Programs before reconvening in Los Angeles to discuss further collaboration to improve the lives of women and girls across the globe.

The 2017 awardees are:

• Sharmin Akter, Activist Against Early/ Forced Marriage, Bangladesh
• Malebogo Molefhe, Human Rights Activist, Botswana
• Natalia Ponce de Leon, President, 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, Iraq
• Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka, Deputy Director of Social Work at the Military Hospital of Niamey, Niger
• Veronica Simogun, Director and Founder, Family for Change Association, Papua New Guinea
• Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, Lawyer and Founder of Not One Woman Less, Peru
• Sandya Eknelygoda, Human Rights Activist, Sri Lanka
• Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, Member, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (F.M.A.), Syria
• Saadet Ozkan, Educator and Gender Activist, Turkey
• Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Blogger and Environmental Activist, Vietnam
• Fadia Najib Thabet, Human Rights Activist, Yemen,

Source – VOA