Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton present 2012 International Women of Courage Awards

March 9, 2012

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday presented the, marking the 101st anniversary of International Women's Day.



The 2012 recipients were Maryam Durani, Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo, Zin Mar Aung,, Hana Elhebshi, Aneesa Ahmed,  ,  , Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih, and  Şafak Pavey.

The award winners come from diverse backgrounds. Maryam Durani is a member of Kandahar's, and director of the non-profit Khadija Kubra Women’s Association for Culture. Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedois is a member of the Rio de Janeiro Military police. Zin Mar Aung is a Burmese democracy activist. Jineth Bedoya Lima is a journalist from Colombia. Hana Elhebshi is a political activist from Libya. Aneesa Ahmed is an advocate against gender-based violence in the Maldives and is the Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs. Shad Begum is a human rights activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Samar Badawi is a proponent of women's suffrage in Saudi Arabia. Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih is an advocate for internally displaced persons  in Darfur. Safak Pavey is the first disabled woman elected to the Turkish Parliament.

Now in its fifth year, 46 women from 34 nations have received the award. International Women’s Day has been observed globally for more than a century to honor the achievements of women.