At the State Department in Washington, D.C., seven women from around the world were honored for their courage and advocacy on behalf of women and girls. The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and First Lady Melania Trump.
The International Women of Courage (IWOC) program is an initiative of the Office of Global Women’s Issues that recognizes and honors individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and leadership in promoting women’s rights and empowerment around the world.
This year’s honorees include:
Henriette Antoinette Geffken, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, who founded the National Association for the Victims of Genocide to advocate for victims and survivors.
Amitpal Kaur, an Indian activist who has worked tirelessly to bring attention to human trafficking and violence against women, particularly among marginalized communities.
Major Velena Lopez, a U.S. Army officer who was wounded in combat while serving in Afghanistan and has since become a vocal advocate for the rights of female veterans.
Other honorees include:
Angelique Assogbavosa from Benin
Georgiana Bucur from Romania
Zabibulla Amin from Pakistan
Namini Meenakshi from India
Amat U. Abdi from Somalia