Women student leaders, who were “key drivers” in the protest against the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh last year, are among the women from around the world who will be awarded by the Donald Trump administration for their “exceptional courage, strength, and leadership”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump will host the 19th edition of the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony at the Department of State on Tuesday.
The women student protest leaders of Bangladesh will be honoured with the ‘Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award’, named in tribute to the first woman to serve as US Secretary of State.
“A valiant group of women were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. They demonstrated extraordinary bravery, including standing between security forces and male protestors in spite of threats and violence,” the State Department said in a statement.
The US state department highlighted their fearless role in the July-August 2024 protests, where they stood against violent repression, despite threats and physical danger.
It further added that when their male counterparts were arrested, these women found innovative ways to continue communication and lead the protests, defying censorship efforts, even during the complete shutdown of the Internet.
It stated, “The bravery and selflessness of these women amid uncertainty was the very definition of courage.”
The secretary of state’s IWOC Award has honoured more than 200 women from more than 90 countries since its inception in 2007.
US embassies around the world put forward nominees from their respective host nations, with senior officials selecting the final awardees.
The honorees also include Namini Wijedasa from Sri Lanka, an award-winning journalist who has chronicled the human toll of the south Asian island nation’s civil conflict.
“Over time, her focus shifted to combating corruption through investigative reporting, bringing critical accountability issues to the forefront and inspiring the next generation of journalists,” the statement added.
Despite restrictive legislation that has suppressed press freedom, Wijedasa remained steadfast in her pursuit of transparency and justice, it added.
Among the awardees is Amit Soussana of Israel, who uses her voice to courageously advocate for survivors by using her own lived example to describe the trauma she suffered as a hostage of the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.
Soussana has raised awareness of the conditions faced by the women, men, girls, and boys who remain hostages of Hamas. An attorney and a licensed member of the Israel Bar Association since 2014, Soussana is an advocate for the hostages that remain under Hamas control following the October 7, 2023, attacks.
