Greetings All,
I am celebrating National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day today by attending the #StateMeetup for the International Women of Courage (#IWOC) Award Ceremony which will be hosted by Deputy Secretary Higginbottom and First Lady Michelle Obama. Ten amazing women from around the globe will be honored for their exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress, often at great personal risk.
- Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil, Director, Malalai Maternity Hospital Kabul
(Afghanistan) - Ms. Roshika Deo, Feminist and Political Activist, Be the Change Campaign (Fiji)
- Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze, Bishop, Evangelical Baptist
Church of Georgia (Georgia) - Dr. Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar, Tribunal President, High Risk Court, (Guatemala)
- Laxmi, Campaigner, Stop Acid Attacks (India)
- Ms. Fatimata Touré, Etude, de Formation Femme-Action (Mali)
- Dr. Maha Al Muneef, Founder and Executive Director, National Family Safety Program (Saudi Arabia) *To be awarded in absentia
- Ms. Oinikhol Bobonazarova, Director, NGO Perspektiva Plus (Tajikistan)
- Ms. Ruslana Lyzhychko, activist and pop artist, (Ukraine)
- Ms. Beatrice Mtetwa, human rights lawyer (Zimbabwe)
Click here to read their full biographies. To learn more about #IWOC, check out my Pinterest board of resources.
After the Ceremony, I will attend a private policy briefing with a State Department official about U.S. engagement on international women’s issues.
I’ll be live tweeting about the event and sharing photos, podcasts, and videos from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine, and VoiceBo (podcast). I’ll post a blog recap of my adventures and lessons learned later this week.
Click here to watch the State Department’s live coverage of the #IWOC Award Ceremony at 11:30 AM EST. Follow @StateDept on Twitter and use the hashtags #IWOC to participate in the conversation.
Ananda Leeke 