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Women of courage from 2011's hotspots
Last week, I witnessed ten extraordinary women be honored for their remarkable contributions to advancing human rights, justice, and equality in their countries. I felt privileged to attend the U.S. State Department’s ceremony to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8th. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton celebrated ten remarkable women from all over the world with the sixth annual International Women of Courage Awards. Two of the three women who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize were also there to mark the day and speak before an audience of over seven hundred policy-makers, diplomats, activists, NGO leaders, and students.
As the chair of Meridian International Center’s Council on Women’s Leadership, I’m well versed in the accomplishments of outstanding women. Our network is working to raise awareness of the importance of promoting women’s empowerment in their communities, nations, and around the world.
Still, there were so many things that inspired me about these Women of Courage awardees. They came from places that experienced upheaval over the past year, like Libya, Myanmar, and Pakistan, and from lesser known countries like the Maldives. These women have taken on entrenched interests that seemed insurmountable, raised awareness of injustices that others turned away from, and often endured great risk to themselves and their families. They came from disparate professions: among them were political leaders and journalists, as well as an architect and a police captain. The majority of the women were in their thirties – the architect from Libya is just 26-years old!
One of these young women is Maryam Durani. The 27-year old Afghani from one of the toughest regions of that county – Kandahar - is a forceful advocate for the rights of Afghan women and girls. She is a member of Kandahar’s Provincial Council, the director of the non-profit Khadija Kubra Women’s Association for Culture, and owner and manager of the only local, female-focused radio station. She is both a leader and a role model for women throughout Afghanistan. Despite surviving an assassination attempt and continuing to face threats on her life, Maryam soldiers on.
The ceremony drove home an important point to me. Supporting women’s empowerment is at the crux of addressing weaknesses in society. It is what underlies conflict and inequitable power distribution. Egyptian poet Hafez Ibrahim, once said "when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” And the outgoing World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, has also reiterated the same point during his stewardship of the Bank.
Those sentiments were clear and strong in Secretary Clinton’s remarks last week when she said “Investing in women and girls is good for societies, and it is also good for the future prosperity of countries. Women drive our economies. They build peace and prosperity and political stability for everyone—men and women, boys and girls.”
Many around the world obviously concur on Secretary Clinton’s point. International Women’s Day has become so widely recognized that according to the official International Women's Day website, over 430 events were planned to mark the day around the world. It is a national holiday in some countries, including China, Russia, Vietnam, and Bulgaria. But perhaps the most telling acknowledgement of how far we’ve come in recognizing this important day was Google’s decision to create a Google Doodle for International Women’s Day in bright colors, with the universal female symbol replacing the first "g."
The stories of these women capture the reason why International Women’s Day should matter to us all. Women are the cornerstone of societies all over the world, as wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers. By improving conditions in order to take full advantage of their potential, by recognizing their extraordinary contributions, we achieve a ripple effect that will last for generations.
Manatt is the chair of the Meridian International Center’s Council on Women’s Leadership and formerly served with the U.S. Department of State as senior policy advisor for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
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