2007 press releases

United States Honors Women of Courage

March 8, 2007

Photo by U.S. Mission to UNESCO

Secretary Condoleeza Rice honored 10 women from around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership at the first ever “Women of Courage” ceremony on March 7. The honorees represented Afghanistan, Argentina, Indonesia, Iraq, Latvia, Maldives, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe and were selected from 82 women of courage who were nominated by U.S. embassies worldwide.

Secretary Rice said that “the same ideals that guided America's earliest women of courage now lead our country into the world to combat the dehumanization of women in every form. We will not accept that women and girls are sold into modern day slavery. We will not accept that women and girls are denied an education. We will not accept so-called honor killings and we'll do everything that we can to end forced early marriages. And we will work to improve health care opportunities for all women so that they can help to build a more hopeful future for themselves and for their own children.”

A transcript of remarks by Rice at the awards ceremony and a statement from her on International Women’s Day are available on the State Department Web site.