First Lady Michelle Obama, Deputy Secretary Heather Higginbottom, and U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Catherine Russell pose for a photo with the 2014 Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awardees at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2014. (
Flickr/State Department)
The 2014 award recipients:
Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil, Director, Malalai Maternity Hospital Kabul (Afghanistan)
Ms. Roshika Deo, Feminist and Political Activist, Be the Change Campaign (Fiji)
Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze, Bishop, Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia (Georgia)
Dr. Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar, Tribunal President, High Risk Court, (Guatemala)
Laxmi, Campaigner, Stop Acid Attacks (India)
Ms. Fatimata Touré, Community activist and Executive Director, Groupe de Recherche, de’Etude, de Formation Femme-Action (Mali)
Dr. Maha Al Muneef, Founder and Executive Director, National Family Safety Program (Saudi Arabia) *To be awarded in absentia
Ms. Oinikhol Bobonazarova, Director, NGO Perspektiva Plus (Tajikistan)
Ms. Ruslana Lyzhychko, EuroMaidan volunteer and People’s Artist of Ukraine (Ukraine)
Ms. Beatrice Mtetwa, human rights lawyer (Zimbabwe)
Higginbottom announced each award recipient by name at the ceremony, including one woman who was honored for her volunteer efforts in Ukraine's Euromaidan demonstrations that ultimately toppled Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Secretary of State John Kerry was not in attendance because of professional travel to Ukraine, where he met Tuesday with interim government leaders who were -- two weeks earlier -- Euromaidan leaders demonstrating against the government of Viktor Yanukovych.