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 The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

to women around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness, and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially in promoting

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

History

The award was established in 2007 by

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...

on or near the

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

, an annual celebration observed each March 8 in many countries worldwide. Each

U.S. embassy The United States has the second most Diplomatic mission, diplomatic missions of any country in the world List of diplomatic missions of China, after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as obse ...

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 Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (born 15 May 1966; he, רות הלפרין-קדרי) is an Israeli legal scholar and international women's rights advocate who is known for her work on family law, feminist legal theory, women's rights in international law, ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

* Jennifer Louise Williams of

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Siti Musdah Mulia Siti Musdah Mulia Siti Musdah Mulia (born 1958) is an Indonesian women's right activist and professor of religion. She was the first woman appointed as a research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and is currently a lecturer of Isl ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Ilze Jaunalksne Ilze Jaunalksne-Rēdere, born November 19, 1976 in Jūrmala) is a Latvian journalist and an author and anchor of the TV3 Latvia current affairs program ''Nekā personīga'' (Nothing Personal) since 2008. From 2005 to 2008 she was an anchor for t ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

* Samia al-Amoudi of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

Mariya Ahmed Didi Mariya Didi is the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Maldives. She is the first female Minister of Defence of the Maldives. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was sworn in on 17 November 2018, made the bold and historic move of appointing ...

of the

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

* Susana Trimarco de Veron of

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

* Aziza Siddiqui of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

* Sundus Abbas of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

* Shatha Abdul Razzak Abbousi of

* Mary Akrami of

Grace Padaca Gracia Cielo "Grace" Magno Padaca (born October 25, 1963) is a Filipino politician and former broadcaster who has been the governor of the northern Luzon province of Isabela, Philippines from 2004 until 2010. She is also the recipient of the R ...

of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

2008

* Suraya Pakzad of

* Virisila Buadromo of

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

* Eaman al-Gobory of

* Valdete Idrizi of

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

* Begum Jan of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

* Nibal Thawabteh of the

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

* Cynthia Bendlin of

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

* Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

2009

* Mutabar Tadjibayeva of

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

Ambiga Sreenevasan Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan ( ta, அம்பிகா சீனிவாசன், Ampikā cīṉivācaṉ; born 1956) is a prominent Malaysian lawyer and human rights advocate, and one of eight recipients of the US International Women of Courag ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

* Wazhma Frogh of

* Norma Cruz of

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

* Suaad Allami of

* Hadizatou Mani of

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesVeronika Marchenko of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

* Reem Al Numery of

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

2010

Shukria Asil Shukria Asil (Arabic: شكرية أصيل) is an Afghan women's rights activist. In 2009, she succeeded in reversing the firing of three women teachers in Baghlan, who had been fired due to negative information being published about them by the M ...

* Shafiqa Quraishi of

Androula Henriques Receiving an award in 2010 Androula Christofidou Henriques (born 1936) is a Cypriot Cypriot (in older sources often "Cypriote") refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the country of Cyprus. * Cypriot people, or of Cypriot descen ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Sonia Pierre Solange Pierre (July 4, 1963 – December 4, 2011), known as Sonia Pierre, was a human rights advocate in the Dominican Republic who worked to end ''antihaitianismo'', which is discrimination against individuals of Haitian origin either born in ...

of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

Shadi Sadr Shadi Sadr ( fa, شادی صدر; born 1974) is an Iranian lawyer, human rights advocate, essayist and journalist. She co-founded Justice for Iran (JFI) in 2010 and is the Executive Director of the NGO. She has published and lectured worldwide. S ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Ann Njogu Ann Njogu is a Kenyan activist. In 2010, she was the director of the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness, which among other things documented sexual- and gender-based violence after the Kenyan general election in December 2007. She was a ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

* Lee Ae-ran of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

* Jansila Majeed of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

* Marie Claude Naddaf of

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Jestina Mukoko Jestina Mukoko is a Zimbabwean human rights activist and the director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project. She is a journalist by training and a former newsreader with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. In March 2010 Mukoko was one of ten human r ...

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

2011

Maria Bashir Maria Bashir is a prosecutor based in Afghanistan, who is the only woman to ever hold such a position in the country . With more than fifteen years of experience with Afghan civil service - the Taliban, corrupt policemen, death threats, failed as ...

* Henriette Ekwe Ebongo of

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Guo Jianmei Guo Jianmei (; born March 27, 1960) is a Chinese lawyer, human rights activist and director of a women's legal aid NGO. In 2005, she was one of 1000 women put forward as nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. Guo is the recipient of the 2010 Simone D ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

* Eva Abu Halaweh of

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

* Marisela Morales Ibañez of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

* Ágnes Osztolykán of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Roza Otunbayeva Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva (Kyrgyz: Роза Исаковна (Исак кызы) Отунбаева, Roza Isakovna (Isak kyzy) Otunbayeva; born August 23, 1950) is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who served as the President of Kyrgyzstan from 7 A ...

of the

Kyrgyz Republic Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east ...

* Ghulam Sughra of

* Yoani Sanchez of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

* Nasta Palazhanka of

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

* Pionie Boso of the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

2012

* Aneesa Ahmed of the

Staff (March 5, 2012).
"2012 International Women of Courage Award Winners"

Office of Global Women's Issues The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues is located within the United States Department of State. In 2009, Melanne Verveer was appointed to be the first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. From September 2013 to May, 2017, Cath ...

of the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

. Retrieved March 8, 2012. *

Zin Mar Aung Zin Mar Aung ( my, ဇင်မာအောင်; born 14 June 1976) is a Burmese politician, activist, and former political inmate who is serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the National Unity Government of Myanmar. She previously ...

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

Samar Badawi Samar bint Muhammad Badawi ( ar, سمر بدوي; born 28 June 1981) is a Saudi Arabian human rights activist. She and her father filed court cases against each other. Badawi's father accused her of disobedience under the Saudi Arabian male gua ...

* Shad Begum of

* Maryam Durani of

* Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

* Hana Elhebshi of

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Jineth Bedoya Lima Jineth Bedoya Lima (born c. 1974) is a Colombian journalist who was abducted in May 2000 and August 2003. In 2001, she was awarded the Courage In Journalism Award of the International Women's Media Foundation.She also won the Golden Pen of Freed ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Şafak Pavey Şafak Pavey (née Önal; born 10 July 1976) is a Turkish diplomat, columnist and politician. She is a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) representing Istanbul Province. She is ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

* Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih of

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

Gabi Calleja Gabi Calleja is an LGBTIQ rights activist in Malta. She read for a Masters in Youth and Community Studies at the University of Malta. From 2010 to 2019, she was the coordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement. As of 2014, she is co-chair of the ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

2013

* Malalai Bahaduri of

"2013 International Women of Courage Award Winners"
U.S. Department of State, March 4, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013 *

Tsering Woeser Tsering Woeser (also written Öser; ; , Han name Chéng Wénsà 程文萨; born 1966) is a Tibetan writer, activist, blogger, poet and essayist. Biography Woeser, a quarter Han Chinese and three quarters Tibetan, was born in Lhasa. Her grandfathe ...

Julieta Castellanos Julieta Castellanos (born 8 January 1954) is a Honduran sociologist and the dean of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) since 2009. Castellanos is known for campaigning against violence in Honduras, focusing on both drug cartel ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

* Nirbhaya "Fearless" of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

* Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

Elena Milashina Elena Milashina (Russian: Милашина, Елена; born 1978) is a Russian investigative journalist for '' Novaya Gazeta.'' In October 2009, she was awarded Human Rights Watch's Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism. Biography ...

Fartuun Adan Fartuun Abdisalaan Adan ( so, Fartuun Aadan, ar, فارتون آدن) is a Somali social activist. She is the Executive Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre. Personal life Adan grew up in Somalia. She was married to Elman Ali A ...

Razan Zeitouneh Razan Zaitouneh (or Zeitunah; ar, رزان زيتونة; born 29 April 1977) is a Syrian human rights lawyer and civil society activist. Actively involved in the Syrian uprising, she went into hiding after being accused by the government of ...

* Ta Phong Tan of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

2014

* Nasrin Oryakhil of

Roshika Deo Roshika Deo is a Fijian feminist and activist. She is the founder of the Be The Change Campaign/Movement in Fiji, which is a movement endorsing feminism, LGBTQI, disability rights, human rights, and environmentalism. The mission of her organisat ...

* Rusudan Gotsiridze of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar is a judge and the president of one of Guatemala’s two High Risk Court Tribunals. She was the presiding judge in the case of Efraín Ríos Montt, a former dictator of Guatemala. In that trial Montt was found guilty ...

Laxmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

* Fatimata Touré of

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

* Maha Al Muneef of

Oinikhol Bobonazarova Oinikhol Bobonazarova (russian: Ойнихол Бобоназарова; tg, Ойниҳол Бобоназарова) is a Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Ruslana Lyzhychko Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko ( uk, Руслана Степанівна Лижичко, ''Ruslana Lyzhychko''; born 24 May 1973), known mononymous person, mononymously as Ruslana, is a World Music Awards, World Music Award and Eurovision Song Co ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Beatrice Mtetwa Beatrice Mtetwa is a Swazi was born 1957 and naturalised Zimbabwean lawyer who has been internationally recognized for her defense of journalists and press freedom. ''The New York Times'' described her in 2008 as "Zimbabwe's top human rights law ...

2015

Niloofar Rahmani Niloofar Rahmani ( fa, نیلوفر رحمانی, born early 1990s) is the first female fixed-wing Air Force aviator in Afghanistan's history and the first female pilot in the Afghan Air Force since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Though her fam ...

Nadia Sharmeen Nadia Sharmeen (Bengali language, Bengali: নাদিয়া শারমীন) is a Bangladeshi journalist. In 2015, she won the US State Department's International Women of Courage Award. Biography From the time she was in Middle School, S ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

* Rosa Julieta Montaño Salvatierra of

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

* May Sabe Phyu of

* Emilie Béatrice Epaye of the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

* Marie Claire Tchecola of

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

* Sayaka Osakabe of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Arbana Xharra Arbana Xharra is a Kosovo, Kosovar investigative journalist. She has won numerous awards for her reporting and was a 2015 recipient of the International Women of Courage Award from the US State Department. Career Arbana Xharra has been working as ...

Tabassum Adnan Tabassum Adnan (Urdu: تبسم عدنان) (born 1977) is a Pakistani women's rights activist from the Swat Valley. She won the U.S. State Department's 2015 International Women of Courage Award for her efforts in seeking justice for Pakistani wom ...

* Majd Izzat al-Chourbaji of

2016

Sara Hossain Sara Hossain is a leading Bangladeshi lawyer. She is a barrister in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Hossain is the honorary executive director of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), a major legal aid provider. Hossain has been at ...

* Debra Baptist-Estrada of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

* Ni Yulan of

* Latifa Ibn Ziaten of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Thelma Aldana Thelma Esperanza Aldana Hernández (; born 27 September 1955) is a Guatemalan jurist and politician, former President of the Supreme Court and former Attorney General. Life Aldana was born in Gualán, eastern Guatemala, in 1955. She graduated ...

* Nagham Nawzat of

* Nisha Ayub of

* Fatimata M’baye of

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

Zhanna Nemtsova Zhanna Borisovna Nemtsova (russian: Жа́нна Бори́совна Немцо́ва; born 26 March 1984) is a Russian journalist and social activist. She is the daughter of Boris Nemtsov. Early life Nemtsova was born in Gorky, USSR (no ...

Zuzana Števulová Zuzana Števulová (born 1983) is a Slovak lawyer, lecturer and migrants' rights activist. She was the first Slovak to be given an International Women of Courage Award. Life Števulová was born in Slovakia in 1983. She is lecturer at the Univer ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

* Awadeya Mahmoud of

Vicky Ntetema Vicky Ntetema (born ) is a Tanzanian journalist known for breaking the story about the Persecution of people with albinism, murder of persons with albinism in Tanzania. Later, she became Executive Director of Under the Same Sun (UTSS) in Tanzania ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

Rodjaraeg Wattanapanit Rodjaraeg Wattanapanit is a Thai free speech activist and bookstore owner. She was a co-founder of the organisation Creating Awareness for Enhanced Democracy (abbreviated CAFÉ Democracy), an organization based out of her bookstore that aims to f ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

* Nihal Naj Ali Al-Awlaqi of

2017

2017 awards were awarded to: * Sharmin Akter, activist on early/forced marriage,

* Malebogo Molefhe, human rights activist,

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

Natalia Ponce de Leon Natalia may refer to: People * Natalia (given name), list of people with this name * Natalia (Belgian singer) (born 1980) * Natalia (Greek singer) (born 1983) * Natalia (Spanish singer) (born 1982) Music and film * ''Natalia'' (film), a 198 ...

, president of the Natalia Ponce de Leon Foundation,

* Rebecca Kabugho, political and social activist,

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

* Jannat Al Ghezi, deputy director of the Organization of Women's Freedom in

* Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka, deputy director of social work at the Military Hospital of Niamey,

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesVeronica Simogun, founder and director of the Family for Change Association,

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

* Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, lawyer and icon of Not One Woman Less,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

* Sandya Eknelygoda, human rights activist,

* Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, nun and member of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (F.M.A.),

* Saadet Ozkan, educator and gender activist,

* Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Mother Mushroom), blogger and environmental activist,

* Fadia Najeeb Thabet, human rights activist,

2018

2018 awards were awarded to: *

Roya Sadat Roya Sadat (born 1983) is an Afghan film producer and director. She was the first woman director in the history of Afghan cinema in the post-Taliban era, and ventured into making feature films and documentaries on the theme of injustice and restri ...

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 Godeliève Mukasarasi (born 1959) is a Rwandan social worker, genocide survivor, and rural development activist. She created the organization Sevota to support widowed women and their children after the genocide. In 2018 she was given an Internati ...

of Rwanda *

Sirikan Charoensiri Sirikan Charoensiri (also known as June Charoensiri, th, ศิริกาญจน์ เจริญศิริ) (born 1986) is a Thai human rights attorney. She works with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and is one of the legal represe ...

of Thailand

2019

;

2019 awards were awarded to: *

Marini De Livera Marini De Livera is a Sri Lankan lawyer and social activist who also served as former chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) in Sri Lanka. In 2019, she was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the United Sta ...

Razia Sultana Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din ( fa, ) (died 15 October 1240, ), popularly known as Razia Sultana, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, an ...

(Bangladesh) * Naw K’nyaw Paw (Myanmar) *

Moumina Houssein Darar Moumina Houssein Darar ( so, Muumina Xuseen Darar; Arabic: مؤمنة حسين درار), is a Djiboutian Anti-Terrorism police investigator. She was recognised as a Woman of Courage by the American Secretary of State in 2019. Life Moumina Ho ...

(Djibouti) * Maggie Gobran (Egypt) * Khalida Khalaf Hanna al-Twal (Jordan) * Orla Treacy (Republic of Ireland) *

Olivera Lakić Olivera Lakić is a Montenegrin investigative journalist for the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti. In May 2018, she was wounded by a gunman after investigating corruption in Montenegro. She became an International Women of Courage Award The Int ...

(Montenegro) * Flor de María Vega Zapata (Peru) * Anna Aloys Henga (Tanzania) Note: According to ''

Foreign Policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

'' magazine, an intended award for Jessikka Aro (Finland), announced in January 2019, was withdrawn shortly before the ceremony in March 2019.

2020

2020 awards were awarded to: * Zarifa Ghafari (Afghanistan) *

Lucy Kocharyan Lucy Kocharyan (Armenian: Լյուսի Քոչարյան; born 1984) is an Armenian journalist and blogger known for having taken a stand in her country against gender-based violence. She was chosen as an International Women of Courage in March 202 ...

(Armenia) * Shahla Humbatova (Azerbaijan) * Ximena Galarza (Bolivia) * Claire Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso) *

Sayragul Sauytbay Sayragul Sauytbay ( kk, Сайрагүл Сауытбай; born 1977) is a Chinese people, Chinese doctor, headteacher and whistleblower for the Kazakhs in China, Kazakh Chinese people. In 2018, she left China illegally and then told the media ab ...

(China) * Susanna Liew (Malaysia) * Amaya Coppens (Nicaragua) *

Jalila Haider Jalila Haider (Urdu/ fa, جلیله حیدر) is a Pakistani human rights attorney and political activist from Quetta in Balochistan, Pakistan. She is known to be the first woman lawyer from Quetta's Hazara minority, and an advocate for the rig ...

(Pakistan) * Amina Khoulani (Syria) * Yasmin al Qadhi (Yemen) * Rita Nyampinga (Zimbabwe)

2021

2021 awards were awarded to: *

Maria Kalesnikava Maria Kalesnikava (Marya Alyaksandrauna Kalesnikava, , ; Maria Aleksandrovna Kolesnikova, Russian: Мария Александровна Колесникова, ; born 24 April 1982) is a Belarusian professional flautist and political activist. ...

(Belarus) * Phyoe Phyoe Aung (Burma) (sic) * Maximilienne C. Ngo Mbe (Cameroon) * Wang Yu (China) * Mayerlis Angarita (Colombia) *

Julienne Lusenge Julienne Lusenge is a Congolese human rights activist recognized for advocating for survivors of wartime sexual violence. She is co-founder and President of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and director of the Cong ...

(DRC) *

Erika Aifan Erika may refer to: Arts and Entertainment * Hayasaka Erika (''Megatokyo)'' * Erika (''Friends'') * Erika (''Pokémon'') * Erika (''Underworld'') * Erika Itsumi ''(Girls und Panzer)'' * ''Erika'' (film), a 1971 Italian thriller film * "E ...

(Guatemala) *

Shohreh Bayat Shohreh Bayat ( fa, شهره بیات; born 1987) is an Iranian chess arbiter based in England. She was chief arbiter of the Women's World Chess Championship 2020. Bayat is an International Arbiter for FIDE. She was awarded an International Women ...

(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 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 Najla Mohammed El Mangoush ( ar, نجلاء محمد المنقوش; born 7 June 1970) is a Libyan diplomat and lawyer. She has been Libya's Foreign Minister in Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh's government since 15 March 2021. Najla El Mangoush is Libya's f ...

(Libya) * Doina Gherman (Moldova) * Bhumika Shrestha (Nepal) * Carmen Gheorghe (Romania) * Roegchanda Pascoe (South Africa) * Phạm Đoan Trang (Vietnam)

References

External links

Secretary's International Women of Courage Award

2010 International Women of Courage Awards, U.S. State Department photostream on Flickr
p
2011 International Women of Courage Awards, U.S. State Department photostream on Flickr
{{International Women of Courage Awards, state=collapsed 2007 establishments in Washington, D.C. Annual events in the United States Awards established in 2007 Awards honoring women Civil awards and decorations of the United States Courage awards United States Department of State

History

Award recipients by year

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

See also

References

External links