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International Women of Courage Award
glass or pespex blocks recording the awardee as a Woman of courage
Presented by United States Department of State
Location Washington, D.C.
Country United States
First awarded Annually starting in 2007; 17 years ago (2007)

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

2008

2009

2010

Alice Mabota was given the award but she is not in the official list.

2011

2012

2012 IWOC Award winners with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle Obama
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 Clinton, Jineth Bedoya Lima, Hana Elhebshi, Şafak Pavey

2013

2014

2015

2016

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

IWOC Group photo 2018 without Aura Elena Farfan
(nine of the ten) 2018 International Women of Courage Awardees. 1.Julissa Villanueva 2.Sirikan Charoensiri 3.Godelive Mukasarasi, 4. Aliyah Khalaf Saleh, 5. Feride Rushiti, 6. L’Malouma Said, 7. Aiman Umarova, 8 Roya Sadat, 9.Maria Elena Berini

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 International Women of Courage Awardees (40345170243)
2019 International Women of Courage Awardees.

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

Secretary Pompeo and First Lady Melania Trump Pose for a Photo with International Women of Courage Awardees (49618948487)
In the back row. left to right. 1. Zarifa Ghafari, 2. Lucy Kocharyan, 3. Kelley Eckels Currie, 4. Melania Trump, 5. Mike Pompeo, 6. Marie Royce,7. Shahla Humbatova, 8.Ximena Galarza, 9. Claire Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso. In the front row: 1. Sayragul Sauytbay, 2. Susanna Liew, 3. Amaya Coppens, 4. Jalilah Haider, 5. Amina Khoulani, 6. Yasmin al Qadhi, 7.Rita Nyampinga.

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 International Women of Courage - virtual
The 2022 (virtual) International Women of Courage hosted by Jill Biden

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

Secretary Blinken and FLOTUS Attend the 2023 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony (52735765282)
17th annual International Women of Courage Award Ceremony in the East Room of the White House, March 2023

The 2023 awards were given to:

  • Zakira Hekmat (Afghanistan)
  • Alba Rueda (Argentina)
  • Danièle Darlan (Central African Republic)
  • Doris Ríos (Costa Rica)
  • Meaza Mohammed (Ethiopia)
  • Hadeel Abdel Aziz (Jordan)
  • Bakhytzhan Toregozhina (Kazakhstan)
  • Ras Adiba Radzi (Malaysia)
  • Bolor Ganbold (Mongolia)
  • Bianka Zalewska (Poland)
  • Yuliia Paievska (Ukraine)

Additional Honorary Group

Iran Freedom Protest and Ukraine Protest, November 12, 2022, Ottawa Canada
A sign with the slogan on it in Central and Northern Kurdish as well as English
  • Jordan Hadeel Abdel Aziz
  • Central African Republic Professor Danièle Darlan
  • Mongolia Brigadier General Bolor Ganbold
  • Afghanistan Dr. Zakira Hekmat
  • Ethiopia Meaza Mohammed
  • Ukraine Yuliia Paievska
  • Malaysia Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi
  • Costa Rica Doris Ríos
  • Argentina Alba Rueda
  • Kazakhstan Bakhytzhan Toregozhina
  • Poland 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.

2024

Awardees, Jill Biden, Secretary Blinken with KEY IWOC 2024 (53567876276)
Awardees: (Back row) Ajna Jusić ,Rina Gonoi, Fatou Baldeh ,Rabha El Haymar, Benafsha Yaqoobi, Fawzia Karim Firoze, Volha Harbunova, Agather Atuhaire. Front row: Fariba Balouch, Fátima Corozo, Benafsha Yaqoobi

The 2024 awards were given to:

  • Benafsha Yaqoobi (Afghanistan)
  • Fawzia Karim Firoze (Bangladesh)
  • Volha Harbunova (Belarus)
  • Ajna Jusić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  • Myintzu Win (Burma)
  • Marta Beatriz Roque (Cuba)
  • Fátima Corozo (Ecuador)
  • Fatou Baldeh (The Gambia)
  • Fariba Balouch (Iran)
  • Rina Gonoi (Japan)
  • Rabha El Haymar (Morocco)
  • Agather Atuhaire (Uganda)

See also

  • List of awards honoring women
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