International Women of Courage Award

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

• 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

;[[File:2019 International Women of Courage Awardees (40345170243).jpg|thumb|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

• 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

thumb|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

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

• 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

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)

2025

The 2025 awards were given to:

• Henriette Da (Burkina Faso)
• Amit Soussana (Israel)
• Major Velena Iga (Papua New Guinea)
• Angelique Songco (Philippines)
• Georgiana Pascu (Romania)
• Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit (South Sudan)
• Namini Wijedasa (Sri Lanka)
• Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj (Yemen)

An additional Honorary Group Award was given to the "Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh" in response to the July Revolution in Bangladesh against the former government.

References

References

1. Perkins, Dan (May 2007). [http://www.diversityinbusiness.com/dib2007/dib20703/News_SecRiceAwards.htm "U.S. Secretary of State Salutes 10 International Women of Courage{{spaced ndashThe Women Were Nominated by U.S. Embassies for Their Exceptional Courage and Leadership in Advocating for Women's Rights and Advancement"] {{webarchive. link. (April 22, 2014 . Diversityinbusiness.com. Retrieved March 9, 2012.)
2. "Secretary's International Women of Courage Award". United States Department of State.
3. "International Women's Issues Archives".
4. (March 7, 2007). "Honorees".
5. (March 10, 2008). "International Women of Courage Award Ceremony: 2008". U.S. Department of State.
6. Aktalov, Askar. (February 2, 2012). "The Uzbek Journalist Tadjibayeva Partook in the Making of the Book and Film "The Hour of the Jackal" (in Russian)". Knews.
7. "We're sorry, that page can't be found.".
8. "We're sorry, that page can't be found.".
9. (May 4, 2010). "MOZAMBIQUE: Alice Mabota Wins 2010 International Women of Courage Award".
10. "Alice Mabota é a mulher mais corajosa de Moçambique".
11. (10 March 2011). "International Women of Courage Awards". [[whitehouse.gov]].
12. Staff (March 5, 2012). [https://archive.today/20120805143848/http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2012/bio/index.htm "2012 International Women of Courage Award Winners"]. [[Office of Global Women's Issues]] of the [[United States Department of State. U.S. Department of State]]. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
13. "Latest Embassy News and Recent Events - Embassy of the United States Valletta, Malta".
14. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130308095225/http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2013/bio/index.htm "2013 International Women of Courage Award Winners"], U.S. Department of State, March 4, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013
15. "We're sorry, that page can't be found.".
16. "We're sorry, that page can't be found.".
17. (January 23, 2015). "Biographies of 2015 Award Winners". State.gov.
18. (March 31, 2016). "Sara Hossain receives Int'l Women of Courage Award".
19. "U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awardee - The Guardian Newspaper".
20. (March 28, 2016). "Secretary Kerry Honors 14 Women of Courage". State.gov.
21. link. (April 4, 2018 , centralamericanetwork.org)
22. Kurdistan24. "Kurdish Ezidi woman receives International award".
23. "Malaysian activist Nisha Ayub is first transgender to win US Women of Courage award".
24. "IPPMEDIA - The Guardian, The Guardian on Sunday, Nipashe, Nipashe Jumapili".
25. (March 29, 2016). "Slovenka bola ocenená ministrom USA: Vynašla sa počas migrantskej krízy".
26. "US State Department honours Sudanese "tea lady" for her courage - Radio Tamazuj".
27. (March 30, 2016). "Chiang Mai activist wins US 'courage award'". Post Publishing.
28. Burke, Lauren Victoria. (March 30, 2016). "State Department Honors 'International Women of Courage'". NBC News.
29. "2017 International Women of Courage Award".
30. "2018 International Women of Courage Award".
31. "2019 International Women of Courage Award".
32. (March 9, 2019). "Sri Lankan Marini De Livera receives International honour on International Women's Day".
33. (March 8, 2019). "Sri Lanka's Marini De Livera awarded the Women of Courage award from Melania Trump - Sri Lanka Latest News".
34. (March 7, 2019). "U.S. Cancels Journalist's Award Over Her Criticism of Trump". Foreign Policy.
35. "2020 International Women of Courage Award".
36. "2021 International Women of Courage Award Recipients Announced".
37. "2022 International Women of Courage Award Recipients Announced".
38. (March 6, 2023). "2023 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award Receipts Announced".
39. (March 9, 2023). "US Honors Women and Girls Who Protested in Iran".
40. [https://www.state.gov/2024-international-women-of-courage-award/ 2024 International Women of Courage Award] State.gov
41. China, U. S. Mission. (2025-04-02). "Secretary of State's 2025 International Women of Courage Award Recipients Announced".