WASHINGTON DC – Jalila Haider, President of Aurat March Baluchistan Branch, receives IWOC Award at the U.S. State Department U.S. Secretary of State Mik Pompeo hosted the Annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) awards at the U.S. Department of State to honor 12 extraordinary women from around the world. The First Lady of the United States Melania Trump delivered remarks to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of these women.
Now, in it’s 14th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC award recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated “exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.”
Since the inception of this award in March 2007, the Department of State has recognized 134 women from 73 countries. This year will bring the total to 146 awardees from 77 countries. U.S. diplomatic missions overseas nominate one women of courage from their respective host countries.
“The finalists are selected and approved by senior Department officials. Following the IWOC ceremony, the 12 awardees will participate in an IVLP – International Visitor Leadership Program,”
said Assistant Secretary Marie Royce who was invited at the lectern to deliver remarks to the audience.
Further, Assistant Secretary Marie Royce added that after this week in Washington, the awardees would travel across the United States to meet with their American counterparts. At ECA, we move people to move ideas. From Jackson, Mississippi to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to my hometown of Los Angeles, California, these outstanding women of courage will engage with Americans to move ideas and develop innovative solutions to our shared global challenges.
Among these 12 recipients, Pakistani lady, Jalila Haider is better known as “Iron Lady of Balochistan” received the award at IWOC. She is a human rights attorney and founder of “We the Humans” – Pakistan, a non-profit organization to lift local communities by strengthening opportunities for vulnerable women and children.
Ms. Haider specializes in defending women’s rights and provides free counseling and legal services to poverty-affected women. The first female attorney of her Hazara community, Haider led a peaceful hunger strike to recognize the right to life for the Hazara following a series of targeted attacks.
Ms Haider has taken up the cause of many vulnerable communities. As Balochistan’s President of the Women Democratic Front and Balochistan’s branch of the Aurat (Women’s March), she fought against violence against women in public spaces, at work and at home.
During the ceremony, Ms Zarifa Ghafari, award recipient from Afghanistan was invited to deliver brief remarks on behalf of the awardee group. She thanked the audience, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and First Lady Melania Trump and then started her address as “dear brave women of the world, wherever you are fighting for the rights of women at this very time.”
She expressed her delight to be present at the State Department and said “it’s truly an honor to be with you today. And the presence of so many amazing women leaders from Bolivia to Burkina Faso and from Syria to Malaysia.”
She lauded the efforts by the U.S. government in the fight for women’s rights and that’s the United States of America. Further, she said “to the American people, to the American government, let me say thank you.”
