Melania Trump, Mike Pompeo Honor International Women ‘Symbols of Courage’

Razia Sultana of Bangladesh poses with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melan
Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
Michelle Moons
Washington, DC

First lady Melania Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo honored women from around the globe Thursday with State Department International Women of Courage Awards.

Mrs. Trump lauded the record number of women elected to congress, the lowest female unemployment in 65 years, and that more women are working now than in November 2016, saying, “This is something to celebrate.”

“I believe courage is one of the qualities we need most in society. It is what propels us forward,” said the first lady. “Courage is what divide those who only talk about change from those who actually act the change.”

She described the women being honored as “symbols of courage.” 

Ten women were presented with the International Women of Courage Awards and two additional honorees were named.

Pompeo recounted the bravery of women in Iran who removed their headscarves in 2018 in the face of great risk:

Last year, right around this time, dozens of women across Iran took to city streets to protest the law requiring them to wear the hijab in public at all times. In an exercise of their freedom, these courageous women removed their hijabs in front of cameras, their faces clearly visible. They did so knowing the brutality of their leaders. And sure enough, a year ago tomorrow, on International Women’s Day, state police swarmed their protest. Many women were arrested. Some faced torture and beatings in jail. At least one was sentenced to 20 years behind bars, and others were forced to flee abroad. The plight of these Iranian women is just one example of the danger facing many women and of the courage so often shown in the face of it.

“Women of Iran” were among two 2019 Women of Courage Honorees along with Kateryna Hnadzyuk of Ukraine “who dedicated her journalism career to uncovering and calling out corruption” and lost her life after an acid attack in the midst of doing so.

The secretary described each of the ten award recipients and their examples “standing tall in the face of extraordinary adversity.”

Each of the ten women were called one by one from their seats on the stage to receive their award from the secretary and first lady: Razia Sultana (Bangladesh), Naw K’nyaw Paw (Burma), Moumina Houssein Darar (Djibouti), Magda Gobran Gorgy (Egypt), Khalida Khalaf Hanna al-Twal (Jordan), Olivera Lakic (Montenegro), Flor de Maria Vega Zapata (Peru), Marini de Livera (Sri Lanka), Anna Henga (Tanzania), and Sister Orla Treacy (Ireland).

Paw gave remarks on behalf of the group after each received their awards. She highlighted the harrowing events she survived as a very young girl in Burma and the Burma army that she said “burnt and destroyed more than 3,500 villages in southeast Burma and slaughter many thousands of people.” She has worked with others to provide “an education to women, people with disabilities, young children, and newborn babies” and “provide protections to women who suffer from violence, and increase the voice and power to the women.”

“Following the official award ceremony and meetings or interviews with government officials, NGOs, media, and others in Washington, DC, IWOC honorees will travel to individual U.S. cities on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP),” according to the State Department. “American organizations and businesses will host IWOC awardees and collaborate with them on strategies and ideas to empower women both in the United States and abroad. The awardees will reconvene in Los Angeles for a closing ceremony before returning to their home countries.”

The award was first given in 2007. The event celebrated these women one day ahead of International Women’s Day. 

Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook.

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