On Wednesday, March 8, at 2:00 p.m. EST, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden will host the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony at the White House. The 2023 IWOC Award ceremony will honor a group of 11 extraordinary women from around the world who are working to build a brighter future for all.
The ceremony is invite-only, pooled press coverage, and will be live streamed on whitehouse.gov/live and state.gov.
Now in its 17th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity – often at great personal risk and sacrifice. Since March 2007, the Department of State has recognized more than 180 women from more than 80 countries with the IWOC Award. U.S. diplomatic missions overseas nominate one woman of courage from their respective host countries and finalists are selected and approved by senior Department officials. Following the IWOC ceremony, the awardees will participate in an in-person International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) exchange to connect with American counterparts in cities across the United States and strengthen their global networks of women leaders. The 2023 awardees are:
Dr. Zakira Hekmat – Afghanistan (residing in Türkiye)
Born an internally displaced person in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, Zakira Hekmat completed high school secretly under the Taliban’s first period of control. After winning a scholarship to study in Türkiye, she eventually qualified as a medical doctor in 2018. Throughout her medical studies, Dr. Hekmat volunteered with refugee assistance organizations where she recognized a need to advocate for marginalized refugee groups’ rights and access to services. From a one-room office, she founded the Afghan Refugee Solidarity Association in Türkiye in 2014, where she has since worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights of all refugees and women. As one of the few female leaders of a refugee-led community organization in Türkiye, she called on the Turkish government and public not to forget and assist those fleeing conflict and persecution, especially after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in the summer of 2021. Thanks to Dr. Hekmat’s efforts, many Afghans, especially women, girls, and minorities, have received access to refugee protection and asylum.
Ms. Alba Rueda – Argentina
Alba Rueda, Argentina’s current Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, was the first Argentine Undersecretary for Diversity Policies in the newly created Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity. Ms. Rueda was the driving force behind Argentina’s executive order on the transgender labor quota in the public sector which was converted into the Transgender Labor Quota Act. She previously worked in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in their National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) as well as the Argentine Secretariat for Human Rights. She is one of the founders of Argentina Trans Women (MTA) and actively engages with Notitrans, the first transgender magazine in Argentina. She actively campaigned to change the name of the National Women’s Conference to the “Plurinational Conference of Women and Lesbian, Cross-Dresser, Transgender, Bisexual, Intersex and Non-Binary Persons” to include diverse, dissident, and racialized identities. Her activism led her to fight for the Marriage Equality Act, the Gender Identity Act, and the Diana Sacayán and Lohana Berkins Act on the Promotion of Access to Formal Employment by Cross-Dresser, Transsexual and Transgender Persons. Her hope is to establish an LGBTQI+ foreign policy agenda and mainstream it into the various negotiation fora, including into multilateral fora and bilateral relations as well as represent the Global South.
Professor Danièle Darlan – Central African Republic
Professor Danièle Darlan, the former President of the Central African Republic’s Constitutional Court, has earned the title of an International Woman of Courage for her defense of her nation’s constitution, her heroism in safeguarding judicial independence, and her refusal to be influenced by threats or political pressure. Her final act as President of the Court before her removal by the government, in which she found that methods proposed to redraft the constitution were not legally sound, exemplified her unwavering commitment to the rule of law. This courageous stand capped a lengthy and distinguished career as a lawyer, educator, judge, and advocate for institution building and women’s rights in one of the world’s poorest countries. Professor Darlan’s championship of equity and transparency in the Central African Republic’s legal system has endured through coups d’état and years of civil conflict. As the Central African Republic’s most prominent female government official and the first woman to head the Constitutional Court, her tenacity has earned her the nickname “Woman of Iron” and a top spot on Jeune Afrique’s list of “The Thirty Building Tomorrow’s Africa.”
Ms. Doris Ríos – Costa Rica
Doris Ríos is a recognized Cabécarindigenous leader and well-respected member of the China Kichá indigenous community. Ms. Ríos is involved in multiple influential initiatives to improve indigenous lives. She is the Vice-president of the National Indigenous Board of Costa Rica, which implements programs for indigenous communities centered around agriculture, animal care, reforestation, and cultural training. Ms. Ríos also acts as a consultant for legislators, executive and judicial branch institutions, international organizations, and civil society on how development projects or legislation may affect indigenous territories, helping to promote the “buenvivir” philosophy of living in harmony with one’s environment held by many indigenous peoples. As a member of the National Women’s Indigenous Forum, Ms. Ríos advocated for the participation of women in issues of security, sustainable development, peaceful defense of human rights, and the recovering of indigenous land. Ms. Ríos was also a member of the Indigenous Committees to Address COVID -19. She worked to raise awareness regarding the vulnerability of indigenous people and their limited access to vital resources and medical care during the pandemic.
Meaza Mohammed – Ethiopia
