2008 Ceremony

Secretary Rice Confers the International Women of Courage Awards

Secretary Rice (Mar. 10): "From Somalia and Fiji, to Iraq and Afghanistan, from Pakistan and Paraguay to Kosovo and the Palestinian territories, these women of courage are transforming their societies from the bottom up, and in doing so, they are inspiring us all. Our eight honorees are among 95 exceptional women who were nominated by American Embassies worldwide. Despite differences of language, ethnicity and background, these eight women share a commitment to the non-negotiable demands of human dignity – the conviction that no culture, no religion, and no tradition of any nation provides license for treating women as objects or instruments to be commanded by another."  Full Text | View Video | Media Note | Statement